Would the 'real' observed dataset stand up? A critical examination of eight observed gridded climate datasets for China Qiaohong Sun, Chiyuan Miao, Qingyun Duan et al. Climate variability, food production shocks, and violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa Halvard Buhaug, Tor A Benjaminsen, Espen Sjaastad et al. Climate and glacier change in southwestern China during the past several decades Zongxing Li, Yuanqing He, Wenling An et al. Warming spring air temperatures, but delayed spring streamflow in an Arctic headwater basin Xiaogang Shi, Philip Marsh and Daqing Yang Modified climate with long term memory in tree ring proxies Huan Zhang, Naiming Yuan, Jan Esper et al.

New Qing Imperial History uses the Manchu summer capital of Chengde and associated architecture, art and ritual activity as the focus for an exploration of the importance of Inner Asia and Tibet to the Qing Empire (1636-1911). Well-known contributors argue that the Qing was not simply another Chinese dynasty, but was deeply engaged in Inner Asia not only militarily, but culturally, politically and ideologically. Emphasizing the diverse range of peoples in the Qing empire, this book analyzes the importance to Chinese history of Manchu relations with Tibetan prelates, Mongolian chieftains, and the Turkic elites of Xinjiang. In offering a new appreciation of a culturally and politically complex period, the authors discuss the nature and representation of emperorship, especially under Qianlong (r. 1736-1795), and examine the role of ritual in relations with Inner Asia, including the vaunted (but overrated) tribute system. By using a specific artifact or text as a starting point for analysis in each chapter, the contributors not only include material previously unavailable in English but allow the reader an intimate knowledge of life at Chengde and its significance to the Qing period as a whole.

The environmental humanities as a metadiscipline provide a new forum for enabling continuous and reciprocal conversations within the humanities and with other sciences in environmental research.

Environmental issues require answers from science, society, and culture. How can we apply the humanities and arts to these issues while cultivating methodologies that value context-dependence, multiperspectivity, relativism, and subjectivity?