What exactly has science revealed about our impact on the health of our planet? Why does it matter? And, what would be a sensible and proportionate response?

Climate disruption is a 'wicked' problem, a problem entangled within many others-not least, deep diplomatic tensions and conflicting national interests. It can't be cleanly isolated and addressed; it can't ever be entirely 'solved'. It can only be managed.

But, dealing with climate disruption is complicated by additional challenges: the evidence that there is a threat to our planet is complex and technical, and by the time that the evidence becomes overwhelmingly obvious, it is already far to olate. The institutions and instruments set up to respond to changes to our climate are inadequate, and there are vested interests who work to impede progress on climate issues. And for most people, there exists a psychological disconnect, with the issue perceived as distant: "Not here, not now, not me". There are even those who claim: "Global warming - it's not science, it's a religion".

In this new Pelican Introduction, Chris Rapley sets out to explore this historic drama in which each of us will play our own part. Charting a journey through the realm of climate science, its implications, and our options for the future, Rapley lays out the clear scientific evidence that human-induced climate disruption is happening-and reveals how we might address both the risks and the opportunities it poses.

Clear-sighted, rigorously researched, and more urgent than ever, this Introduction will leave you ready to make up your own mind about what climate science reveals, and about how we should individually and collectively respond. Because, as Rapley shows, our fate on earth will be determined by the power and limitations of the human mind.

Chris Rapley CBE is Professor of Climate Science at University College London. He is a Fellow of St Edmund's College Cambridge, a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a member of the Academia Europaea, a Board member of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust,Chairman of the European Space Agency Director General's High Level Science Policy Advisory Committee, and Chairman of the London Climate Change Partnership. Until December 2010, he was the Director of the Science Museum. This followed a decade as Director of the British Antarctic Survey and four years asExecutive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. He is a leading figure in the public debate around climate change.