Melting Down

Book excerpt: Melting Down by environmental consultant Harvey Stone is an environmental thriller based upon 1) well-researched scientific data and 2) real-world, geo-political scenarios. The novel tracks an international terrorist plot to exploit the changing climate in order to fulfill Russia's historical destiny: world domination. It includes political intrigue, suspense, and action that span the globe from Hawaii to the Arctic and from Washington to Moscow. Within the fictional plot, Melting Down embeds key aspects of the science behind the changing climate, as well as its observed and predicted impacts. It also explores a systems-oriented approach for simultaneously solving many of today's economic, social, and environmental problems. Briefly, Melting Down's plot takes place in the final weeks of a too-close-to-call US Presidential election. President Charley Breen must overcome overwhelming personal tragedy and political pressure in order to stop the terrorist plot. Admiral Boris Sukirov and his high-ranking co-conspirators view the disappearing Arctic sea ice as Russia's final opportunity to control the world. Arming mercenaries with suitcase nuclear devices, they hold the world's glaciers hostage while exploiting the real-world scenarios that readers hear about in today's media. Tex Cassidy is the President's life-long friend, a Pulitzer-nominated investigative reporter, and a master at uncovering the connections between seemingly unrelated actions. He teams up with Zavia Jansen, a world-class designer of storm-surge barriers, in a global manhunt that must uncover and derail "Operation Noah."As they crisscross the globe to achieve their goals, Melting Down's characters represent many scientific, political and moral viewpoints. These viewpoints range from energy stakeholders to scientists calling for immediate action to political climate-deniers. The viewpoints also address questions such as "who benefits from the changing climate?" and "is there a way to mitigate the worst aspects of the changing climate?"