Global Warming

Let’s start the New Year with a hot topic and a Nobel-Prize-quality global thematic report.  The ‘Climate Change 2013 Assessment Report’, produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) based in Geneva, provides a comprehensive view of the current scientific knowledge of climate change.  It’s a compelling read into global warming and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.
 

What fascinating about this authoritative 1522-pages report is that it contains 482 sophisticated graphs that help to illustrate complex concepts into something more understandable.  The graphs play an important role in consolidating numerous points into singular visualizations that define a central concept.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these 482 graphs tell many mini-stories and together enhance the value of the report tremendously.

I’m happy to recommend this extraordinary report because (1) global warming is currently relevant, and (2) this report is a fine example of how the combination of excellent research writing and meaningful data visualization/illustration can yield outstanding result.  This report is epic.  Obviously, there’ll be no viz of mine because none is needed.  By the way, Al Gore and IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize together.