Book review Title: Climate change and small island states Author(s): Jon Barnett, John Campbell Publisher: Earthscan ISBN: 978-1-84407-494-5 “The book challenge the climate science and policy processes in the Pacific Islands but the questions raised could be applied worldwide. The social impact of climate change should not be ignored and no adaptation and mitigation policies can be effective without considering the social systems and the values of the island communities.” Prof. Soteris Kalogirou, member of EGY Book Review Panel 1st ed.Chap. 9; 2010;(hardback), p. 218 The book addresses the effects of climate change on small island states of the South Pacific. These are considered as the most vulner- able to the various effects of climate change and some of them they could even vanish completely if seawater rises to the levels pre- dicted by some of the authorities and climate research centers. The book provides information about the possible problems that will be created by climate change on the Pacific Islands, what is being done and what could be done in response, and it provides analysis of the ways in which climate change in the region is represented and the ways these representations constrain responses. The introductory chapter analyses the possible problems of climate change on the Pacific islands examined. A detailed descrip- tion of the Pacific islands characteristics and the region is presented. The islands are separated into three major areas called Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. A total of 22 islands are included in this area of the world with a total of 9.5 million inhabitants. The effects of climate change on these islands is then described as well as how externally imposed changes over the past two centuries, mainly due to colonization and the effects of World War II, affected the way the islands respond and adapted to the various changes. Chapter 2 examines the changes in the relationships between people, their environment and development in the Pacific Islands. It is illustrated that there is a considerable variety in islands in terms of geomorphology, climate and biota, and the way the inhab- itants use these elements. The types of islands found in the region and their exposure to risks arising from climate change are analyzed. Although all islands are located in the tropics, their climate characteristics are not similar. Their environment as a resource is also analyzed in respect to island size, topographical diversity, rainfall, biodiversity, and minerals. Furthermore, the islands’ environment is analyzed with respect to geological and biological hazards. The first category includes climatic and geolog- ical hazards and the second floral and faunal hazards. The chapter examines also the traditional human environmental systems from the time the islands were inhabited, about 40,000 years ago, the environmental transformations occurred because of the coloniza- tion, the environment and development in the post-colonial years, and the developments in post-independence as Pacific Island Coun- tries. Finally, some environmental issues facing the islands today are reported. These include waste management, land and coastal degradation, freshwater degradation and reduction of biodiversity. Chapter 3 examines the way that knowledge about climate change is produced. The various bodies formed to study climate change are described as well as the implications of the knowledge created on policy and practice. The participation of scientists from the islands is actually missing from these bodies. The authors argue that there are significant and avoidable limitations in knowledge about climate change in the region and this is the reason for the minimal sub-optimal responses to the problem which take place until now. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is then examined. It is argued that researchers associated with the IPCC shift their work beyond science into the realm of science policy and also the close engagement between governments and climate science is criticized. The reports of IPCC on small islands and the ways these are drafted are then examined. It is criticized that these reports were prepared with a minimal participation of scientists from Small Island Developing States. Chapter 4 initially analyses the international research programs undertaken. Then the structure and the way of opera- tion of the IPCC are explained. According to the authors, the crit- ical issue is not whether the IPCC produces true results but rather whether it produces quality science that is a reliable basis for deci- sion making. Subsequently, an analysis is given on the initiatives undertaken in the Pacific Islands area to generate knowledge on climate change and transfer this knowledge to the various policy bodies. The main form of knowledge is produced using the inte- grated assessment models while other methods like local view- points and traditional knowledge systems are not utilized to the right extent. This has the result that projects which promote adap- tation are top–down, neglecting the needs of the local communities. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy doi:10.1016/j.energy.2010.09.017 Energy 35 (2010) 4614–4616