Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-224) and index.
Contents:
Introduction : Going to Nevada -- 1. Welcome to the revolution! -- 2 The overlooked extinction -- 3 The mother of all extinctions -- 4 The misinterpreted extinction -- 5 A new paradigm for mass extinctions -- 6 The driver of extinction -- 7. Bridging deep past with near past -- 8 The oncoming extinction of winter -- 9. Back to the Eocene -- Finale : the new Old World.
Summary:
More than 200 million years ago, a cataclysm known as the Permian extinction destroyed nearly 97 percent of all living things. Its origins have long been a puzzle. Paleontologist Ward, fresh from helping prove that an asteroid had killed the dinosaurs, turned to the Permian problem, and he has come to a stunning conclusion: that the near-total devastation at the end of the Permian period was caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide leading to climate change. The story of the discovery makes for a globe-spanning adventure. Here, Ward explains how the Permian extinction as well as four others happened, and describes the freakish oceans--belching poisonous gas--and sky--slightly green and always hazy--that would have attended them. Those ancient upheavals demonstrate that the threat of climate change cannot be ignored, lest the world's life today--ourselves included--face the same dire fate.--From publisher description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.