Weather catastrophes and climate change - Is there still hope for us?

Climate change is taking place — this fundamental conclusion forms the starting point for the latest publication in Munich Re's knowledge series and is based on the fact that the ten warmest years ever recorded have all occurred since 1992. But what are the reasons for this? Answers to this question and an outline of the current state of knowledge are provided in this volume by 22 leading experts from the world of science, politics, and the economy.

With this collection of essays, the Munich Re department Geo Risks Research presents a comprehensive survey of the latest knowledge on climate change. They shed light on the causes, effects, and interrelations of global climate development from a variety of perspectives. There is a wide range of topics, including a look at climate history, the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, a discussion of modern climate models, and the arguments of the so-called climate sceptics. The book also discusses the potential options for political and social action and spells out the opportunities and risks for the insurance industry.

The authors include climate experts of international repute:

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  Hartmut Graßl, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
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  Mojib Latif, head of the Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics research division at the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel
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  Ulrich Cubasch, Professor of Climate Research at the Free University of Berlin
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  Stefan Rahmstorf, Professor of Physics of the Oceans at the University of Potsdam
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  Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Research Director at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Great Britain
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  Hans von Storch, Director of the Institute for Coastal Research at the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht

The authors' response to the question asked in the title "Is there still hope for us?" is a majority "Yes". Mankind contributes to climate change by its own behaviour — and behaviour patterns are something that can be changed. The knowledge needed to effect such a change is pooled in this single volume of topical essays collected by Munich Re.