The English version of „Der Klimawandel aus dem Blickwinkel der Physik und der Erdgeschichte“, as presented here, is owed to the friendly and very fruitful collaboration of Professor Chris Rhodes, Reading/UK. Due to his contributions to various parts of the essay this English version has become more substantial than the original German one. Moreover the Epilogue will have been entirely written by him.
Prof. Rhodes (www.fresh-lands.com) is a writer and researcher who became involved with environmental issues while working in Russia during the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. He studied chemistry at Sussex University, earning both a B.Sc and a Doctoral degree (D.Phil.); rising to become the youngest full-professor of physical chemistry in the U.K. at the age of 34. A prolific author, Chris has published more than 400 research and popular science articles (some appearing in international newspapers: The Indepen-dent, The Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal). Published books include: Toxicology of the Human Environment (Taylor and Francis, 2000), Radicals on Surfaces (Kluwer, 1995), Jagged Environ-ment (JEpublications, 2001), Growing Our Way to Hope (Growth Publications, 2009) and the novel „University Shambles“ (Melrose Books, 2009). Chris writes a regular monthly column for the internet-based magazine Scitizen (scitizen.com), on the theme of world future energy provision and he also writes for Forbes (blogs.forbes.com/energy-source/author/crhodes/). Additionally, he maintains a blog (ergobalance.blogspot.com), which discusses contempora-ry energy and environmental issues. This has garnered a strong and growing international readership, on the strength of which he gave a recent invited lecture tour of the United States.
Chris is a recognised poet who received a merit-based scholarship grant from the prestigious U.S.-based Cole Foundation for the Arts, to produce a collection of 45 poems which are now in press for publication in The Baker's Dozen: The Cole Foundation Collection, Vol. III (AuthorHouse, 2010).
As a registered Media Expert, Chris has given numerous radio and televised interviews concerning environmental issues, both in Europe and in the United States - most recently on BBC Radio 4's Material World. Latest invitations include a series of international Cafe' Scientifique lectures regarding the impending depletion of world oil and the need to develop oil-independent, sustainable societies.
Chris has formally left academic life in order to pursue his own consultancy (Fresh Lands), which works toward improving environmental conditions both in Europe and in countries of the former USSR (www.fresh-lands.com). He is an advisor to the European Union and to the European energy industry.
Honours and Awards: President of the Royal Society of Chemistry ESR Group, and the award of a Higher Doctorate (D.Sc) by the University of Sussex (2003), which is the highest mark of esteem and recognition any researcher can attain. Fellow, of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Vice-President of the St. Paul's Trust Centre (a Liverpool based, Christian charity), and member of the Royal Society of Literature.
