Includes bibliographical references (p. [305]-328) and index

In accessible journalistic prose, author Lynas distills what environmental scientists predict about the consequences of human pollution for the next hundred years, degree by degree. At 1 degree Celsius, most coral reefs and many mountain glaciers will be lost. A 3-degree rise would spell the collapse of the Amazon rainforest, disappearance of Greenland's ice sheet, and the creation of deserts across the Midwestern United States and southern Africa. A 6-degree increase would eliminate most life on Earth, including much of humanity. Based on authoritative scientific articles, the latest computer models, and information about past warm events in Earth history, this promises to be an eye-opening warning that humanity will ignore at its peril.--From publisher description.