I created this page to share some key insights from my climate solutions research.
In 2009, I saw the historical fiction author Robert Harris give a talk about his Cicero trilogy. He mentioned using only about ten percent of his history research in the novels themselves. After creating the world of the ArkTech Territory, his words resonate with me. I’ve researched many developments in science and technology with regards to climate solutions, but only a small proportion of the information makes it into my novels. Some readers may be very interested in the intricacies of Solar Radiation Modification, for example, but others may become frustrated by details that don’t progress the plot or develop the characters. To paraphrase Harris, I’d better not spend four pages describing that really cool urn I saw at a museum!
Having said that, I’d like to share scientific insights from my research somewhere more permanent and accessible than my email newsletter. That’s especially true of the knowledge that helps people understand how we might address the problem of global warming. Before writing these books, I thought I was well-informed about solutions to climate change, but what I knew back then turned out to be the tip of the (pre-Melt) iceberg. With that in mind, you’ll find links below to some of my favourite resources.
Let’s consider the topic with reference to some common emotions people experience in the face of climate change.
I feel disempowered – what can I actually do?
It’s understandable to feel like there’s nothing impactful we can do about global warming as individuals, but there are more possibilities than we might imagine. This could include writing to your local politician, moving to a bank that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels, or switching out your old incandescent lightbulbs for LEDs. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and how we engage with climate change can’t be a one-size fits all solution.
Rather than re-invent the wheel, I’ll refer you to an excellent website which outlines many available options for action:
The page was created to support the theatre production of Kyoto, an award-winning West End RSC production which dramatises the signing of the Kyoto protocol in 1997. That might sound dry, but the play was utterly absorbing – I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I discovered the play because it starred voice actor Kristin Atherton, who narrated the audiobook of Artificial Selection. You can see her in action here as the German delegate, Angela Merkel (the one who feels ‘urged’).
I feel hopeless – can we really reverse global warming?
Yes! And I’m not just saying that to cheer you up! We can do this in an economically sound way with solutions that already exist. My favourite resource outlining how we can solve the problem of climate change is Project Drawdown. I read their book several times while researching the ArkTech Territory. (The book is called Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Not the snappiest title, but it’s certainly clear, and the book is very accessible and well-organised.)
They have a six-part video series called Climate Solutions 101, which is a free educational resource. The fifth video explores how approximately 80 existing solutions could be deployed to achieve “drawdown” – that is, to stop the rise of global average temperatures by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They’ve taken account of the environmental, economic, and social benefits. Below is a graph detailing the solutions.
I feel furious – why isn’t climate change everyone’s top priority?
It’s understandable and legitimate to feel that way when faced with such an existential threat, especially towards political parties that may be downplaying the issue. But approaching other individuals with compassion and curiosity, and opening a constructive conversation from a place of mutual respect, is likely to be the most effective approach.
As Ben learns in Artificial Selection, people have reasons for their behaviour, and those reasons may be complex, personal, or deeply rooted in our sense of identity. We don’t all have to agree about every detail (it would be concerning if we did). We just need to find enough common ground to protect the planet that sustains us.
The Constructive Dialogue Institute offers resources about how to approach such conversations, including their five principles: let go of winning; ask questions; share stories; respond rather than react; and find what’s shared. I find that final point particularly powerful in the context of global warming – we’re surely all united in our desire for a better tomorrow.
I feel curious – what are the intricacies of Solar Radiation Modification?!
Well, I’m so glad you asked!
Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) is a real type of geo-engineering which involves reflecting the sun’s rays away from the Earth with a view to cooling it. In the fictional world of my novels, it was the world’s adoption of this technology (IQUO’s ‘Project Mirror Shade’) which caused the Melt. SRM can encompass a range of solutions, but IQUO’s involved stratospheric aerosol injections (SAI). This requires fleets of planes to drop reflective particles into the sky.
The solution is controversial for several reasons:
- Fossil fuel use: The planes which inject the particles run on fossil fuels, offsetting the impact of the intervention.
- Ocean acidification: While SRM may help cool the planet, it doesn’t stop the ocean from absorbing excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which increases its acidity and harms marine ecosystems and coral reefs.
- Unpredictable weather: The way SRM affects weather patterns cannot be modelled with precision, meaning it could create unexpected impacts on ecosystems around the world, including droughts and flooding.
- False sense of security: By masking the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the intervention creates the psychological illusion that reducing emissions is no longer necessary, making necessary changes harder to implement.
- Termination shock: A breakdown of the SRM system can trigger an effect called Termination Shock, leading to severe and sudden warming of the planet which societies would struggle to adapt to.
Further reading: In October 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a factsheet about Solar Radiation Modification, which gives an accessible overview of the technology.
My own feelings
At various times, I’ve felt disempowered, hopeless, furious and curious about the climate crisis. These days, I feel hopeful.
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl writes about surviving several concentration camps during the Second World War. He observed that those who survived were the ones who didn’t give up hope. Hope, therefore, has an important role to play in surviving a threat like global warming.
Hope doesn’t mean believing a magical solution will appear. Fixing this will take hard work, co-operation, and determination. But I believe we can do it – if we set our minds to it.
I hope we will.