David Kitchen explores risks and impact of global climate change in new textbook

University of Richmond professor David Kitchen has published a textbook, “Global Climate Change: Turning Knowledge into Action,” about the risks of climate change.

Kitchen addresses the science behind global warming, noting that a report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published this September stated that it is "virtually certain that globally the troposphere has warmed since the mid-20th century," and it is "extremely likely" humans are responsible.

His book reviews the science that led to the conclusion, and delves into ways climate change will impact our nation and world and what we can do to solve the problem. Kitchen predicts the outcomes of a series of possible actions — or inactions — to analyze what our future may look like.

“Climate change is one of the foremost issues of modern times,” Kitchen said. “Readers will take away a much deeper appreciation of the serious threats we face from the impact of climate change — on both society and the environment. They are challenged to find solutions that are both politically achievable in the U.S. and acceptable to both developed and developing nations.”

At the heart of the climate change problem, Kitchen argues, is the way we generate energy. In order to service the demand of a growing world population, new forms of cheap and clean energy are needed. “The problem is that this energy is neither cheap nor widely available,” Kitchen says.

The book is being distributed internationally by Pearson, a higher education publishing company.

Kitchen has a Ph.D. in geology from Queens University Belfast. He has taught at Richmond since 2001and recently received a NASA education award to help develop a new course on global climate change.

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