Book Description:
Why the word Meltdown in the title of the book? With the world heating up, bush fires wiping out whole communities, money markets and economic systems collapsing, mining operations replacing quality farming land, factory chemicals poisoning the waterways, the natural environment being destroyed, and whole societies being displaced, we are indeed witnessing a meltdown. People are now very concerned and some are afraid for their futures. Does the human race, or at least sections of the populations in different countries of the world hold beliefs about, and attitudes towards, social and ecological issues such as climate change and futurist scenarios that are apocalyptic? In a completely different vein, are they prepared to take action about their environmentally unfriendly behaviours? Are all the natural disasters that have beset the world in the past decade an indicator that the world is about to end, particularly coupled with famine, war and pestilence, and lately the breakdown in the global economic systems, all having been prophesised by different seers and religious leaders? This book is timely and in some ways timeless; the issues discussed within its pages are matters that are of interest to all people across the world and really across time. In this book, there are a number of chapters that focus on the theoretical positions and cognition about fears and concerns for the future, in different segments of the world’s population. There are other chapters that describe nature’s situation as it is today, with water shortages, threats of sea-level rise, loss of forests, habitats and wildlife in various parts of the globe. These chapters demonstrate the complexities involved in attempting to understand which aspects relate to climate change, which aspects are distinct from climate change, and indeed which aspects were already in existence, but have been, and will be, exacerbated by climate change influences. The four basic elements of life - fire, water, earth and air – are covered by contributions on bush fires, floods, drought, water shortages, and air pollution.

Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments

Part I: Conceptualising Fears and Concerns about Future Catastrophes

Chapter 1: Overview: Should We Be Worried About the Future?; pp. 1-11
(Kathryn Gow, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Chapter 2: Climate Change As Challenge: Can Human Resilience and Resourcefulness Provide Solutions?; pp. 13-29
(Marek J. Celinski, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Ontario, and Andrzej R. Celinski,York University, Toronto, Ontario)

Chapter 3: Exploring the Psychological Aspects of Risks, Fears and Concerns about Climate Change; pp. 31-53
(Kristina Searle and Kathryn Gow, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Chapter 4: Providing Scaffolding for Students in Light of Concerns over Climate Change: An Educational Perspective; pp. 55-67
(Lida Kuk Lee, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong)

Chapter 5: Do Global Concerns Affect Dream Content more than Personal Concerns?; pp. 69-87
(Sandra Sacre, Kathryn Gow, Julie Hansen, Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Mark Blagrove, Swansea University, UK)

Chapter 6: Ecological Crises – A Psychological Perspective and the Path to Transformation; pp. 89-101
(Ann Moir-Bussy, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong)

Chapter 7: The Physical and Psychological Challenges of Environmental Threats and Climate Change; pp. 103-117
(Grace Wai-man Ip; Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong)

Chapter 8: Squeezing Relationships Dry: The Impact of Drought on Australian Farmers’ Intimate Relationships; pp. 119-133
(Zoe J. Pearce, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Part 2: What Are Some Of The Effects Of Climate Change And Natural Disasters?

Chapter 9: How Might the Health Effects of Air Pollution Change when The Planet Gets Warmer; pp. 137-155
(Adrian Barnett, Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Craig Hansen, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA)

Chapter 10: Can We Anticipate More Heatwaves, Wildfires and Deluges?; pp. 157-173
(Kathryn Gow, Queensland University of technology, Australia)

Chapter 11: Responses of Freshwater Turtles to Drought: The Past, Present and Implications for Future Climate Change in Australia; pp. 175-190
(John Roe, Indiana-Purdue University, USA and Arthur Georges, University of Canberra, Australia)

Chapter 12: Can Understanding Backwater Effects Help us to Prepare for and Manage Deluges?; pp. 191-208
(Francine Pritchard, University of Southern Queensland, Australia)

Chapter 13: Bushfire Disaster Preparedness: A Rural Survey; pp. 209-227
Francine Pritchard, University of Southern Queensland, Kathryn Gow, Iraphne Childs and David Chant, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Chapter 14: Adapting to Sea-Level Rise: Lessons for the Future from Redcliffe, Australia; pp. 229-245
(Peter A. Hastings and Iraphne R.W. Childs, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Chapter 15: Climate Change Impacts and Planning in Africa; pp. 247-267
(Workineh Kelbessa, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia)

Chapter 16: Drought in Rural Areas: Not Just the Absence of Water; pp. 269-286
(Kathryn Gow, Queensland University of Technology,Australia)

Chapter 17: The South East Queensland Water Grid – Using the Drought to Engineer the Market; pp. 287-305
(Howard Guille and Hannah Evans, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Part 3: Can We Afford To Take Chances With Our Future?

Chapter 18: Climate Change and Globalisation; pp. 309-324
(Mark J. King, Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Chapter 19: Serious Fears across Cultures about the Collapse of the World Order; pp. 325-341
(Elizabeth Tindle and Waveney Croft, Queensland University of Technology Australia)

Chapter 20: Three Economic Tsunamis: Should we have seen them coming? A Boundary Rider’s Perspective; pp. 343-356)
(Paul Wildman, Economist and Community Development Consultant,Australia)

Chapter 21: A Third Watershed: The Capacity to Adapt and Solve Future Dilemmas Confronting our Planet; pp. 357-372
(Ian Plowman, Management and Community Consultant, Australia)

Chapter 22: It’s Now or Never: The Importance in Raising Ecological Conscious Awareness of The World’s Climate Change; pp. 373-391
(Anna Lee Mraz Bartra, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico)

Commentary: How did we Blow it on Climate Change?; pp. 393-394
(Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Western Australia)

How Could We Live without These?; pp. 395
(Jordy Roberts, Gold Coast, Queensland)

Save our Planet; pp. 397
(Elizabeth Tindle, Brisbane, Australia)

Photographs: Several of the photographs in the text are contributed by Tim McCrorey, Toowoomba, Australia. Other photographic contributions are acknowledged in the various chapters.

Index pp.399-430