Synopsis "Climate Futures: Time Travels to Alternative Outcomes"
We classify our work as "Science Faction," a new genre of prose that uses science fiction as a means of communicating accepted scientific facts or plausible science regarding predicted climate change. Climate Futures: Time Travels to Alternative Outcomes imparts an understanding of various possible fates, setting them in another time and dimension. To the casual reader, Climate Futures is an adventure story that offers an enjoyable way to learn about climate change resulting from human greenhouse gas emissions. To the science buff, Climate Futures offers facts about climate change within the context of an adventure story. The reader will experience each future scenario by time traveling with Dr. Mitch, a climate ecologist, through each of seven doors, representing various climate consequences. The prologue sets the stage for the story. In chapters 1-3, the reader travels through the first three doors, which describe climate scenarios based on what today's climate modeling predictions tell us about what may happen. These outcomes depend on what we as a society do (or don't do) to address climate change. These first three doors present scenarios that are generally used by today's climate modelers: we do nothing ("business as usual"-Door #1), we do a modest amount to address climate change (Door #2), or we give our full effort to mitigate emissions (Door #3). The reader will easily recognize the consequences of each of these scenarios, since it is what mainstream scientists have been telling us. Yet, it is important to start with this foundation of understanding. The final four chapters (Doors #4-7) provide different perspectives on "thinking outside the box." Through door #4, the skeptics approach is explored, with the attitude: "Before we act, prove to me that climate change is happening beyond any doubt." Is there a possibility that the skeptics are correct? Door # 5 proposes a world where geo-engineering is evaluated and deployed. Can we tinker with the sun's radiant heat energy to counter the warming caused by our emissions? Door #6 takes us to a world where the Yellowstone super-volcano erupts.What does the persistent cold and dark have to do with global warming? Hint: If society recovers from the cooling affects of the blast, will it re-industrialize with lessons learned from the climate aftermath of the first industrial revolution? Finally, Door # 7 addresses an unconventional approach to solving climate change from the bottom up without government intervention-the "grassroots" scenario. Lastly, there is a prominent sub-theme for this story: "Let It Be." Throughout the book, Dr. Mitch struggles with passions, anger and frustrations regarding those who oppose his views. The well-known Beatles' lyric, mentioned repeatedly throughout the book, reminds the main character (and the reader) to keep an open mind when discussing climate change with others-and to be willing to share your views passionately, but without rancor.
