Final answer:
The source by David Wallace-Wells is considered credible due to publication by a reputable publisher, its recency, and the author's potential expertise. Comparative literature and scientific consensus on climate change further reinforce the book's reliability as a reference for the impacts of global warming.
Step-by-step explanation:
The credibility of the source "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells for an essay about the impacts of global warming can be indicated by several qualities of the source. One is the publication by a reputable publisher, Tim Duggan Books, which suggests that the book has gone through a standard publication process including peer review and editorial checks. Another indication of credibility is the recency of the publication, as it was published in 2020, which suggests that the information is up-to-date. Furthermore, if the author has a background in environmental science or related fields, his expertise would add to the source's reliability.
Comparative literature also highlights the seriousness of global warming and its potential impacts on biodiversity and human civilization, as seen in works by Lovejoy and Peters (1994), Miller-Rushing and Primack (2008) among others. These works, alongside a significant consensus reflected in the overwhelmingly vast majority of peer-reviewed climate articles, reinforce the standing of Wallace-Wells' book as a credible source.
Lastly, given the scientific consensus about climate change, a book that echoes these scientific findings and is published by a recognized publishing house can be reasonably deemed credible. This makes Wallace-Wells' book a feasible and trustworthy reference for a scholarly essay on global warming's impacts.