Although some individuals question the science behind climate change, this new set leaves no doubt of its existence and importance. Designed to explain “the complexity of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports to younger students,” the volumes contain 250 articles contributed by various science writers and academics in geology, law, and environmental science. The articles are organized alphabetically into two volumes, the first covering Abrupt climate change through Gulf Stream and the second covering Halocarbons through World Meteorological Organization. Article length ranges from two to seven pages, and each article has a standard format consisting of “Introduction”; “Historical Background and Scientific Foundations”; “Impacts and Issues”; a bibliography that may include books, periodicals, and Web sites; a “Words To Know” sidebar; and extensive cross-references. Occasional “In Context” sidebars highlight particular topics, for example, “Acid Rain and the PH Scale,” “Who Owns the Arctic?” Each volume repeats the extensive glossary; IPCC list of abbreviations, acronyms, and definitions; and chronology, which is up-to-date through January 2008. More than 250 color images, tables, and maps accompany the articles. The table of contents is found in both volumes, with a lengthy bibliography (including numerous Web sites) and an index in volume 2. Vocabulary is challenging, making the set suitable for high-school, public, and college collections. Buy if you don’t have a fairly recent reference source on this topic. Also available as an e-book.