An accessible introduction to climate change that outlines key scientific, economic, and political issues, reviews how the global community has addressed the issue to date, and discusses the options being explored for further action. Climate Change: A Reference Handbook offers readers a way to separate science from politics on this crucial and often contentious issue. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the science and public policy of climate change, including discussion of historical developments, today's key concepts, and the future of climate science and policy. Climate Change begins by explaining the science behind global climate change, including the growing consensus that human activity is a major contributing factor. It then takes an objective look at the key conflicts in climate science and policy, describes those that have been resolved, and offers a balanced review of proposals for those that have not. A separate chapter focuses on the scientific, economic, and political aspects of climate change as they are playing out specifically in the United States.