Simon Rosser's Blog, page 3
July 27, 2013
Climate Fiction: A New Genre?
Perhaps it’s time to treat your Kindle to a new thriller? How about an Eco thriller? Also known as climate fiction or Cli Fi. This blog is devoted to the books currently out there which combine action, adventure and thrills, with a threat – either natural or man-made – to the environment, which causes local or even global disaster and destruction. Sound like a good recipe? Read on…
You don’t have to be a ‘Tree-hugger’ – no offence to trees or hugging intended – to enjoy these types of books. In fact, although these titles are all fictional, not only do you get a decent story and fast-paced read, but the books are quite often very informative and laced with science, so the reader also usually learns something in the process…What could be better?
Climate Fiction thrillers have actually been around for a good while. The 1950s and 1960s were filled with “Our planet is getting mad” themes, which were told through the numerous science fiction films that came out during that period.
“The Day The Earth Stood Still,” based on author Harry Bates’ short 1940s story, “Farewell To The Master,” which came with a message from outer space that Earth needed to be saved from mankind, is probably one of the most well-known of those films, but I dare say, not many people have heard of the book, or even the author.
More recently, movies such as “The Day After Tomorrow,” about the sudden halting of the Atlantic Ocean Thermohaline Circulation, based on the 1999 book, “The Coming Global Superstorm,” by Whitley Strieber and Art Bell, and Richard Matheson’s last man on the planet, “I am Legend,” based on a book of the same title, actually written in 1954, brought environmental disaster movies to the masses.
These are great examples of the CliFi disaster genre, which are based on books from decades ago. We also have British authors like JG Ballard who, in 1962 wrote “The Drowned World,” a story about solar radiation melting the poles, causing soaring temperatures which leave Europe and North America submerged in tropical lagoons.
Another British author, Charles Eric Maine was writing eco-thrillers back in 1958 with “The Tide Went Out,” about mankind’s nuclear tests busting open the Earth’s crust which causes all the oceans to run into the planet’s interior, and you guessed it, environmental disaster ensues…great stuff!
So, it seems the eco-thriller, or newly recently labelled Climate Fiction genre is really a sub-genre which has been around for decades, just more usually dressed up as science fiction it would seem.
I have read a decent selection of eco thrillers and have also written one myself – Tipping Point, and below is a little information on my favorites in the genre. You can make your own minds up as to whether you think this genre is for you. There is also a list of the books that I haven’t yet read, but ones that are certainly on my Kindle download list!
I’m actually surprised that the climate fiction thriller genre doesn’t have its own niche on Amazon, but maybe that will change soon, as there’s plenty of great books out there. Whilst the world doesn’t face the same kind of threats as it did in the 1950s, one hopes, it does face mounting environmental ones, which should mean that the eco-thriller/CliFi genre will be around for a long time to come.
Let’s just hope we’re all around long enough to read them…!
So, in no particular order then, here’s my list;
The Rapture by Liz Jenson.
When a wheel-bound psychologist is assigned to help a young girl locked up in an asylum to decipher her seemingly crazy rants and random scribbling’s of natural disasters, her first thoughts, naturally is that the girl is crazy. When certain events appear to come true however, it soon appears that the girl might not be deranged after all but have the ability to foresee a future global environmental catastrophe.
A well written, pacey novel with an interesting subject matter – 3.5 eco-stars
Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd.
Not so much an eco-thriller, but included on the basis that the main protagonist is a climate scientist. This book is about Adam Kindred who, following a fleeting meeting with a man in a restaurant has his life turned upside down after he has to go off radar in London whilst all the while trying to prove his innocence following a murder he didn’t commit.
A vividly written novel with simmering drama – 3 eco-stars
Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler.
The master of adventure novels pulls off another great adventure-thriller with a global warming/environmental theme. Dirk Pitt becomes involved with a search for a mineral which may be capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Expect science, thrills, adventure, action and good story-telling – 4.5 eco-stars
Tipping Point by Si Rosser – yes me!
An action-adventure thriller with an environmental twist is the best way I could describe my book. Robert Spire, the main character is an environmental lawyer, but little time is devoted in the book to any legal back-story, this is no legal thriller. Instead Spire is immersed in a global adventure following the mysterious deaths of two climatologists. Action and thrills take place in Wales, London, Paris, San Francisco and the Arctic as Spire goes on a quest in search of answers. Meanwhile global environmental disaster looms…
I won’t rate my own book, but here’s what the readers are saying;
“Tip top global adventure”
“Enjoyable action-thriller”
“Great yarn, couldn’t put it down”
“Well-crafted environmental thriller”
“Simmering suspense”
Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child.
This book I thought was a great read. Again, you could argue that this is a techno-thriller, but in my view it has all the elements of an eco-thriller. A team of scientists monitoring climate change near an old disused Artic base discover something – a prehistoric creature frozen solid in an ice cave. The sponsors of a nature programme funding the project fly in to film the creature as it is thawed from its ancient resting place. Needless to say, all hell breaks loose!
Fast-paced, scary, vividly written Arctic thriller – 4.5 eco-stars
IMPACT POINT by Si Rosser – Yep, mine again!
Robert Spire’s second adventure, takes him from Wales, London, the USA and the Bahamas in search of the cause of multiple blue whale deaths. When traces of the mineral olivine are found in the mammals blood, the mystery deepens. Meanwhile, a rare and valuable meteorite gets stolen from slain philanthropist Julian Smithies’ Californian mansion. Is there a connection? The more Spire finds out, the closer he comes to revealing a future cataclysm that may end all life on planet Earth.
Robert Spire’s latest adventure, might be the World’s last…
Here’s another bunch of great sounding eco-thrillers that are on my to read list; Enjoy!
Freezing Point and Boiling Point
I Am Legend
The Tide Went Out
Drowned World
Wet Desert
Thaw
The Wave
Wildfire
Vapor Trails
Melting Down
Ultimatum
Cold Earth
Flood
The post Climate Fiction: A New Genre? appeared first on Simon Rosser - Kindle Books Author Website.
Eco thrillers: A new genre?
Perhaps it’s time to treat your Kindle to a new thriller? How about an Eco thriller? Also known as climate fiction or Cli Fi. This blog is devoted to the books currently out there which combine action, adventure and thrills, with a threat – either natural or man-made – to the environment, which causes local or even global disaster and destruction. Sound like a good recipe? Read on…
You don’t have to be a ‘Tree-hugger’ – no offence to trees or hugging intended – to enjoy these types of books. In fact, although these titles are all fictional, not only do you get a decent story and fast-paced read, but the books are quite often very informative and laced with science, so the reader also usually learns something in the process…What could be better?
Eco-thrillers have actually been around for a good while. The 1950s and 1960s were filled with “Our planet is getting mad” themes, which were told through the numerous science fiction films that came out during that period.
“The Day The Earth Stood Still,” based on author Harry Bates’ short 1940s story, “Farewell To The Master,” which came with a message from outer space that Earth needed to be saved from mankind, is probably one of the most well-known of those films, but I dare say, not many people have heard of the book, or even the author.
More recently, movies such as “The Day After Tomorrow,” about the sudden halting of the Atlantic Ocean Thermohaline Circulation, based on the 1999 book, “The Coming Global Superstorm,” by Whitley Strieber and Art Bell, and Richard Matheson’s last man on the planet, “I am Legend,” based on a book of the same title, actually written in 1954, brought environmental disaster movies to the masses.
These are great examples of the eco-thriller disaster genre, which are based on books from decades ago. We also have British authors like JG Ballard who, in 1962 wrote “The Drowned World,” a story about solar radiation melting the poles, causing soaring temperatures which leave Europe and North America submerged in tropical lagoons.
Another British author, Charles Eric Maine was writing eco-thrillers back in 1958 with “The Tide Went Out,” about mankind’s nuclear tests busting open the Earth’s crust which causes all the oceans to run into the planet’s interior, and you guessed it, environmental disaster ensues…great stuff!
So, it seems the eco-thriller genre is really a sub-genre which has been around for decades, just more usually dressed up as science fiction it would seem. The latest term coined for this type of book is Climate Fiction, or CliFi
I have read a decent selection of eco thrillers and have also written one myself. Below is a little information on my favorites in the genre. You can make your own minds up as to whether you think this genre is for you. There is also a list of the books that I haven’t yet read, but ones that are certainly on my Kindle download list!
I’m actually surprised that the eco thriller genre doesn’t have its own niche on Amazon, but maybe that will change soon, as there’s plenty of great books out there. Whilst the world doesn’t face the same kind of threats as it did in the 1950s, one hopes, it does face mounting environmental ones, which should mean that the eco-thriller genre will be around for a long time to come.
Let’s just hope we’re all around long enough to read them…!
So, in no particular order then, here’s my list;
The Rapture by Liz Jenson.
When a wheel-bound psychologist is assigned to help a young girl locked up in an asylum to decipher her seemingly crazy rants and random scribbling’s of natural disasters, her first thoughts, naturally is that the girl is crazy. When certain events appear to come true however, it soon appears that the girl might not be deranged after all but have the ability to foresee a future global environmental catastrophe.
A well written, pacey novel with an interesting subject matter – 3.5 eco-stars
Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd.
Not so much an eco-thriller, but included on the basis that the main protagonist is a climate scientist. This book is about Adam Kindred who, following a fleeting meeting with a man in a restaurant has his life turned upside down after he has to go off radar in London whilst all the while trying to prove his innocence following a murder he didn’t commit.
A vividly written novel with simmering drama – 3 eco-stars
Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler.
The master of adventure novels pulls off another great adventure-thriller with a global warming/environmental theme. Dirk Pitt becomes involved with a search for a mineral which may be capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Expect science, thrills, adventure, action and good story-telling – 4.5 eco-stars
Tipping Point by Si Rosser – yes me!
An action-adventure thriller with an environmental twist is the best way I could describe my book. Robert Spire, the main character is an environmental lawyer, but little time is devoted in the book to any legal back-story, this is no legal thriller. Instead Spire is immersed in a global adventure following the mysterious deaths of two climatologists. Action and thrills take place in Wales, London, Paris, San Francisco and the Arctic as Spire goes on a quest in search of answers. Meanwhile global environmental disaster looms…
I won’t rate my own book, but here’s what the readers are saying;
“Tip top global adventure”
“Enjoyable action-thriller”
“Great yarn, couldn’t put it down”
“Well-crafted environmental thriller”
“Simmering suspense”
Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child.
This book I thought was a great read. Again, you could argue that this is a techno-thriller, but in my view it has all the elements of an eco-thriller. A team of scientists monitoring climate change near an old disused Artic base discover something – a prehistoric creature frozen solid in an ice cave. The sponsors of a nature programme funding the project fly in to film the creature as it is thawed from its ancient resting place. Needless to say, all hell breaks loose!
Fast-paced, scary, vividly written Arctic thriller – 4.5 eco-stars
IMPACT POINT by Si Rosser – Yep, mine again!
Robert Spire’s second adventure, takes him from Wales, London, the USA and the Bahamas in search of the cause of multiple blue whale deaths. When traces of the mineral olivine are found in the mammals blood, the mystery deepens. Meanwhile, a rare and valuable meteorite gets stolen from slain philanthropist Julian Smithies’ Californian mansion. Is there a connection? The more Spire finds out, the closer he comes to revealing a future cataclysm that may end all life on planet Earth.
Robert Spire’s latest adventure, might be the World’s last…
Here’s another bunch of great sounding eco-thrillers that are on my to read list; Enjoy!
Freezing Point and Boiling Point
I Am Legend
The Tide Went Out
Drowned World
Wet Desert
Thaw
The Wave
Wildfire
Vapor Trails
Melting Down
Ultimatum
Cold Earth
Flood
The post Eco thrillers: A new genre? appeared first on SimonRosserAuthor.
April 3, 2013
MELT ZONE - Join Robert Spire in his third action-adventure thriller - Coming March 2013...
Reblogged from Sirosserthrillers Ebook Blog:
In 1938 the German New Swabia Expedition left Hamburg for Antarctica aboard the MS Schwabenland. The secret expedition arrived at the Princess Martha Coast, in an area which had been claimed by Norway as Dronning Maud Land, and began charting the region. Nazi German flags were placed on the sea ice along the coast…75 years later, something very odd is discovered…
MELT ZONE...coming 7th April to Amazon... get ready for adventure...
January 4, 2013
Statistics for December and 2012 – is the UK getting wetter?
Reblogged from Met Office News Blog:
Provisional statistics from the Met Office show 2012 was the second wettest year in the UK national record dating back to 1910, and just a few millimetres short of the record set in 2000.
The exceptionally wet year was characterised by a dry start which quickly gave way to very wet weather, with April and June both being the wettest on record.
December 30, 2012
MELT ZONE – Join Robert Spire in his third action-adventure thriller – Coming March 2013…
RAPID ANTARCTIC ICE MELT…
A HUNT ACROSS EUROPE…
A DECADES-OLD NAZI MYTH…
MELT ZONE
PROLOGUE
BERLIN 4th 1944
CAPTAIN OTTO BAUER hurried along the tree-lined bank of the Landwehrkanal toward the Bendlerblock, tightly clutching in his right hand the dossier that had just been handed to him. The sun was low in the sky, leaving long shadows on the surface of the slow moving waterway and on the imposing stone building standing a short distance away on the opposite side of the canal, former headquarters to the Imperial German Navy.
Bauer stopped by a tree to catch his breath and mopped his forehead. He was certain someone had been following him, but there was no sign of anyone on the narrow path that ran alongside the canal. His heart was beating faster than it should be. He was only forty-five years old, and fit, but the contents of the dossier and the secrecy surrounding its delivery had scared the hell out of him. He was nervous and concerned for his safety, both factors no doubt causing his pulse to race.
He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself before continuing toward the bridge fifty feet further along the canal bank. He reached it safely and ran across the narrow canal bridge and checked behind him. There was nobody there. He emerged from the trees on the other side of the bank and onto the main street, just as two armed guards marched past, MP44 assault rifles strapped to their shoulders.
Bauer checked the route was clear. One of the army’s latest tanks, a King Tiger was stationed some distance down the street, a visible show of security following last month’s failed attempt on Hitler’s life.
He approached the ministry building, which up until five weeks ago was occupied by the Wehrmacht officers who’d plotted against the Fuhrer. Yellow light spilled out into the darkening evening from the building’s large square windows.
The ministry was under the control of the SS and housed the temporary office of SS Officer Erich Voss.
As he looked up at the imposing building, he wished the assassination attempt on Hitler had been successful. He secretly despised the man who was leading his great nation to destruction.
Otto Bauer raised his arm to the armed guard as he walked through the high rectangular entranceway to the main door where a second guard greeted him and checked his papers. “Heil Hitler!” The guard said, allowing him through.
Bauer reluctantly returned the salute.
He walked briskly along the marble floor corridor and up to the second floor where Voss’s office was situated. As he reached the corridor he stopped to catch his breath again and tidied his hair. He glanced down at the manila folder in his hand. The words Streng Geheim; Top Secret – Deutsche Antarktis Basis, were emblazoned in red ink across the front.
He greeted the armed guard standing outside the door, knocked and walked into the room. “Heil Hitler!” He saluted Voss, who was sitting behind a large oak desk.
“Heil Hitler!” Voss repeated calmly, looking up from some paperwork he was studying.
Bauer lowered his arm and handed the folder to his superior. “The information you requested Herr Voss. It doesn’t appear good, disaster has struck.”
Erich Voss raised his hand to silence him, remaining seated as he slowly scrutinised the documents that had been in the folder. “Has anyone else seen this information?” Voss asked, looking up.
Bauer shook his head. “Only my contact I assume Mein Herr.”
“Very well,” Voss said, inserting the documents back into the folder. “You’re task is complete. I will inform Herr Himmler in the morning. The necessary orders will be given to resolve this matter.”
Bauer nodded. “Heil Hitler!” he said raising his arm.
“Heil!” Voss replied, from behind his desk. “Guten abend Herr Bauer, I trust you will enjoy the rest of your evening. My guard will escort you out.”
Bauer nodded apprehensively and turned to leave the room. As he stepped into the corridor, the last thing he heard was a single gunshot, followed by the thud of his own body hitting the cold polished marble floor.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT SIROSSERTHRILLERS
December 22, 2012
A-Z of Global Warming: 2012 Edition. C – Carbon Dioxide.
C – CARBON DIOXIDE
Okay, so we are now well into our alphabetic A–Z journey throughglobal warming. C for Carbon Dioxide is one of the main playersin the global-warming problem. Carbon dioxide, chemical symbolCO2, is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and twooxygen atoms.1
CO2 is present in the Earth’s atmosphere at a low concentration, about 0.038 per cent by volume, and is one of many gases that make up Earth’s atmosphere (see Chapter G). CO2 is measured in parts per million by volume of air (ppmv). Atmospheric CO2 derives from many natural sources, including volcanic eruptions, the combustion of organic matter, the respiration of living aerobic organisms, and unfortunately from manmade (anthropogenic) sources, which we all know from the news is being linked to global warming and climate change.
Since the Industrial Revolution, particularly the mid – nineteenth century, the burning of fossil fuels for energy to provide electricity, power factories and homes, and for all our transport needs, has released massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Not only the burning of fossil fuels, but changes in the use of the land for agriculture and deforestation (looked at in the next chapter), have further added to global manmade CO2 levels.
According to the WWF some twenty-nine gigatons, which is 29,000,000,000 metric tons of CO2, were, in 2004 alone, added to the atmosphere from burning coal, oil and gas. If we go back 250 years or so, to pre-industrial times, usually taken to be approximately 1750, CO2 levels in the atmosphere stood at about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv). However, levels of the gas have been increasing steadily ever since.
How do we know this?
Well, pioneering scientist Charles Keeling (1928–2005) started taking atmospheric CO2 measurements in 1958 from Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Those measurements have been recorded and are now known as the Keeling curve. Charles Keeling was the professor of oceanography at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), in San Diego, USA. He followed the work of another eminent scientist and director of the SIO, Roger Revelle. Dr Revelle was instrumental in creating the Geophysical Year in 1958, and SIO’s first programme looking at atmospheric CO2 back in 1956.
Monthly CO2 measurements were collected from a height of 3,397 metres (11,140 feet) at the Mauna Loa Observatory situated on the slopes of Earth’s largest volcano, Mauna Loa, which was
chosen for its remoteness from populations and vegetation, so as not to skew the readings.
Measurements have been taken over a fifty-nine-year period, between 1958 and present, and show an increase in CO2 levels of 70 ppmv from about 315 ppmv to approximately their current level of 385 ppmv. The effects of CO2 in the atmosphere can even be measured on a cyclical basis, and this can be seen in the saw-toothed Keeling graph. Because there is a greater land area, and thus far more plant life in the northern hemisphere (as mentioned in Chapter A) compared to the southern hemisphere, there is an annual fluctuation of about five ppmv peaking in May and reaching a minimum in October. This corresponds to the northern hemisphere growing season. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere drops towards spring, when uptake by the plants and trees by photosynthesis is greatest. The opposite occurs in winter when the plants die off and CO2 levels rise again.2
Continuous readings in this way have been taken only since 1958. However, scientists have discovered that prior to the industrial era, circa 1750, CO2 levels stood at about 280 ppmv, and this data has been revealed from air trapped in ice core records, taken from both the Antarctic and Arctic.3 Perhaps most startling is the fact that CO2 levels are now about eighty-five ppmv higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years. Records from ice-core records go back that far and have shown atmospheric CO2 levels to range from 180-300 ppmv during that period. The level of CO2 in our atmosphere now stands at 385 ppmv, and is increasing steadily.4 , 5 , 6
The Keeling curve has become one of the most recognisable images in modern science, as it shows with no uncertainty the effects of humankind’s fossil-fuel pollution of Earth’s atmosphere.
CO2 levels have increased by thirty-seven per cent since preindustrial times and have been increasing by an average of almost 1.4 ppmv a year since measurements began in 1958 – although some months the figure has been higher, sometimes lower. In the last ten years, the average increase appears to be about 1.9 ppmv each year, which indicates the rate of increase is increasing. This is looked at further in Chapter I.
Where does all the CO 2 go?
It is estimated that about fifty per cent is absorbed by the oceans and land (soil, plants, trees etc.) in equal amounts, and fifty per cent remains in the atmosphere. The oceans absorb vast amounts of CO2 and act as a major sink/store for the gas, just as do the forests of the Amazon. However, the oceans take a relatively long time to absorb the CO2 that is pumped into the atmosphere, and
therefore the effects of current CO2 levels may not be reflected by the oceans for some time to come. The oceans can sustain many times more CO2 than the atmosphere can. According to NOAA the oceans have taken up about 118,000,000,000 metric tons of CO2 from human sources (anthropogenic CO2) between 1800 and 1994. This equates to about forty-eight per cent of all manmade CO2, which would be enough to push atmospheric CO2 up by an additional fifty-five ppm.
Why is carbon dioxide such a problem?
Basically global-warming theory predicts that increasing amounts of CO2 (and other gases) in the atmosphere tend to enhance the greenhouse effect and thus contribute to global warming. Despite
CO2 being present in the atmosphere in small concentration, natural CO2 levels are a very important component of Earth’s atmosphere. As mentioned earlier, CO2 is one of Earth’s natural
greenhouse gases and it helps the Earth maintain its temperature by trapping some of the sun’s heat, which would otherwise escape back into space. If this did not happen the Earth would be some 30°C (54°F) cooler and have an average temperature of about -18°C (-0.4°F) – pretty chilly, unless of course you are a penguin!
CO2 is also essential for life on Earth. Photosynthesis, the process by which plants and trees absorb CO2 and produce oxygen, could not occur without it. In the distant past volcanoes were the main source of Earth’s CO2, and there are still lots of active volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Etna and Stromboli in Italy, which have been erupting continuously for thousands of years. Erupting volcanoes are just part of Earth’s natural CO2 cycle, and the CO2 they emit will eventually be absorbed back into the oceans and the land.
CO2 is only one of the gases that make up the Earth’s atmosphere that are collectively referred to as greenhouse gases. As we shall see in later chapters, the higher the level of greenhouse gases of which manmade CO2 is a component, the higher the Earth’s temperature is likely to be. The effects of higher temperatures could be catastrophic, as we shall be reminded throughout this book.
We will now look at deforestation, which is a continuing problem, and which destroys the Earth’s rainforests ability to soak up CO2. The rainforests destruction also adds to CO2 levels as dead and decaying trees release their stores of carbon back into the atmosphere that were taken out over many decades of growth.
CARBON DIOXIDE 2012 UPDATE.
So, what’s the position with CO2 levels now? Well, they have continued to increase and now stand at 393 ppm. Click on the following link to be taken to the NOAA website which gives a graph taken from the Mauna Loa data. An increase of 10 ppm in the four years since this book was first written.
A record-setting 30.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide was added to the atmosphere in 2010. That’s a 45 per cent increase in the global annual release of carbon dioxide by humans since 1990, reports the International Energy Agency. According to the Guardian report, Professor Lord Stern of the London School of Economics, the author of the influential Stern Report into the economics of climate change for the Treasury in 2006, warned that if the pattern continued, the results would be dire. “These figures indicate that [emissions] are now close to being back on a ‘business as usual’ path. According to the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's] projections, such a path would mean around a 50% chance of a rise in global average temperature of more than 4C by 2100,” he said. “Such warming would disrupt the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people across the planet, leading to widespread mass migration and conflict. That is a risk any sane person would seek to drastically reduce.”
In 2011, reports , global CO2 emissions rose a further 3.2 per cent to 34.83 billion tons, with China making the largest contribution to the rise.
In 2012, CO2 emissions were again forecast to rise to 35.6 billion tonnes – ScienceDaily.
Many scientists have long suspected that rising levels of carbon dioxide and the global warming that ended the last Ice Age were somehow linked, but establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship between CO2 and global warming from the geologic record has remained difficult.
A new study, funded by the National Science Foundation and published in the journal Nature, identifies this relationship and provides compelling evidence that rising CO2 caused much of the global warming.
Despite biofuels being developed for jet-engines, recent predictions for aircraft CO2 emissions show they will double or triple by 2050. Currently global aircraft emissions contribute around 2-3 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions. More worryingly, global emissions are set to increase by 43 per cent by 2035 as fossil fuels remain the number one energy source and coal becomes the number one fuel. Carbon capture and storage technology is unlikely to keep up with the pace of coal burning energy production.
The bad news is that CO2 levels are continuing to rise, forcing Earth’s temperature up as they do. Greenhouse gases, of which CO2 is just one, will be looked at further in chapter G.
Key points
➢ CO2 is just one of Earth’s greenhouse gases and makes up just 0.038 per cent by volume of atmospheric gas.
➢ Levels of CO2 have increased from 280 to 393 ppmv since circa 1750, an increase of thirty seven per cent, mainly as a result of burning fossil fuels.
➢ CO2 is a global-warming gas and current levels are higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years.
➢ Professor Charles Keeling started taking measurements of CO2 from Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, and they show an increase from 315 to 393 ppm since 1958.
2 NASA, http://www.visibleearth.nasa.gov, the Keeling curve.
3 Stern Review on The Economics of Climate Change, Part I.
4 Ibid.
5 Real Climate, http://www.realclimate.org.
6 Mongabay.
December 16, 2012
A-Z of Global Warming: 2012 Edition – A for AMAZON
A – AMAZON
We start our A–Z journey on global warming with the Amazon rainforest, which has an incredibly important role to play in maintaining balance in the Earth’s climate, in ways that are only just being understood. The Amazon is inextricably linked to the issue of global warming and therefore a very good place to start our inquiry into what may be the biggest threat to our existence on this planet.
Amazon facts
The Amazon river basin contains the largest rainforest on Earth and covers approximately forty per cent of the South American continent. The rainforest is located in eight countries. Brazil has sixty per cent, with Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana between them containing the rest. The Amazon forest is a natural reservoir of genetic diversity, containing the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest that exists. The Amazon contains an amazing thirty per cent of Earth’s species. One square kilometre can sustain about 90,000 tons of living plants! It’s also amazing to consider that one in five of all the birds in the world make the rainforest their home. The Amazon basin is drained by the Amazon River, the world’s second longest after the Nile. The river is essentially the lifeline of the forest. It is the most voluminous on Earth and its daily freshwater discharge into the Atlantic is enough to supply New York City’s freshwater needs for nine years!1 New measurements recently taken by scientists, however, suggest that the Amazon may actually be the longest river in the world. No doubt this will be confirmed if true, at some point in the future!
A few thousand years ago tropical rainforests covered as much as twelve per cent of the Earth’s land surface, but today the figure is below five per cent. The largest stretch of rainforest can be found in the Amazon river basin, over half of which is situated in Brazil.2
Why is the Amazon so important in the context of global warming?
The rainforest acts as a major store of carbon and produces enormous amounts of oxygen. The Amazon has been referred to as ‘the lungs of the Earth’ because of its affect on the climate. The way this is achieved is of course through photosynthesis, the process by which green plants and trees use the energy from sunlight to produce food by taking CO2 from the air and water and converting it to carbon. The by-product of this is oxygen. The Amazon therefore helps recycle CO2 by turning it into oxygen, and it is estimated that the Amazon produces about twenty per cent of this essential gas for Earth’s atmosphere.
Trees, plants and CO2
Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have been measured since 1958, from a monitoring station located on Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. They show sharp annual increases and decreases in CO2 levels, similar to the tooth on a saw. The readings seem to mimic a breath of air being taken in and out, almost as if the Earth is breathing. They correspond to the amount of vegetation on the
planet (most of which is in the northern hemisphere, as the landmass there is greater), taking in CO2, and giving out oxygen. During summer in the northern hemisphere, when the Earth is tilted towards the sun, Earth’s vegetation is able to photosynthesise, resulting in an uptake of CO2, causing worldwide CO2 levels to drop. In winter in the northern hemisphere, when Earth’s axis is tilted away from the sun, the opposite happens, causing CO2 levels to rise again.
When one becomes aware of the correlation between the Earth’s vegetation and CO2 levels, it is easy to understand why the Amazon, and rainforests in general, are such an important part of Earth’s ecosystem. The problem is, however, that although the measurements taken at the volcano in Hawaii show sharp up and down annual readings, the measurements also show a simultaneous steady upward trend in CO2 levels. The importance of CO2 in relation to global warming will be a recurring theme throughout this book, and will be looked at further in Chapter C.
What has been happening in the Amazon?
A worrying trend is the Amazon having experienced two consecutive years of drought, in 2005 and 2006. The drought in 2005, which left rivers dry, stranded thousands of villagers, and put regional commerce at a standstill, was the worst on record. A second year of drought is of great concern to researchers studying the Amazon ecosystem. Field studies by the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Research Centre in the USA, suggest that Amazon forest ecosystems may not withstand more than two consecutive years of drought without starting to break down. Severe drought weakens forest trees and dries leaf litter leaving forests susceptible to land-clearing fires set during the July-October period each year. According to the Woods Hole Research Centre, it also puts forest ecosystems at risk of shifting into a savannah-like state.3
A recent experiment carried out by a team of researchers suspended 5,600 large plastic panels between 1 and 4 metres (3.2– 13.1 feet) above the ground to mimic severe drought conditions, where as much as eighty per cent of a one-hectare plot is deprived of eighty per cent of rainfall. Measuring rainfall, soil moisture, leaf and canopy characteristics over time, it was found that after
four years the rainforest trees began to die while leaf litter dried and became tinder for wild fires.4
Another factor is the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, a climatic phenomenon that influences much of the climate in the region, particularly Northeast Brazil, and the northern Amazon. ENSO brings with it dry conditions in the above areas, and manmade climate change is thought to increase this naturally occurring phenomenon in the future. ENSO is further looked at
in Chapter W.
Some climate models have suggested that temperatures in the Amazon may increase by 2 to 3°C (3.6–5.4°F) by the year 2050, together with a decrease in rainfall during the dry period. If the drought continues, based on the results of the aforementioned experiment, 2007/8 could be a turning point for the forest, which may mean that a tipping point will be reached where the forest will start to die, with catastrophic consequences for Earth’s climate.
If this trend continues, according to the WWF, between thirty and sixty per cent of the Amazon rainforest could become dry savannah, rendering the forest a source of CO2 instead of a sink/ store of it, which it currently is. There are ways in which we can all help try and sustain this vast and ecologically important expanse of rainforest, and these will be discussed in Chapter Y.
The Amazon will be considered further in Chapter D, where the problem of deforestation is looked at.
We will now consider the importance of biofuels as an alternative source of fuel, and how biofuels may help in the fight against global warming. Ironically, this is also causing problems for the Amazon and other rainforests, as areas of forest are cleared for the planting of crops for biofuel production.
AMAZON: 2012 UPDATE.
So, what’s been happening in the Amazon over the last four years? The “one-in-100” year drought that struck the Amazon in 2005 returned in 2010, this time possibly releasing more than the 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the 2005 drought did. Experts fear that if such extreme droughts become more frequent – which appears to be the case – the Amazon may cease to provide a natural buffer to man-made carbon emissions.
Dr Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds reported in the Journal of Science, “Having two events of this magnitude in such close succession is extremely unusual, but unfortunately consistent with those climate models that project a grim future for Amazonia.” – Mongabay.
Global climate simulations suggest that further droughts, such as the ones in 2005 and 2010 could eventually turn the Amazon from a carbon sink to a carbon emitter. Researches now fear that the apparent increase of severe droughts – caused by a combination of climate change, fragmentation and deforestation – could cause the collapse of the Amazon rainforest ecosystem. The UK’s Guardian newspaper covered the story well, here and here.
A new study on its way to being published shows that the Amazon rainforest suffered greatly from last year’s drought. Employing satellite data and supercomputing technology, researchers have found that the Amazon was likely hit harder by 2010’s drought than a recent severe drought from 2005. The droughts have supported predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) that climate change, among other impacts, could push portions of the Amazon to grasslands, devastating the world’s greatest rainforest. “The greenness levels of Amazonian vegetation—a measure of its health—decreased dramatically over an area more than three and one-half times the size of Texas and did not recover to normal levels, even after the drought ended in late October 2010,” explains the study’s lead author Liang Xu of Boston University – Mongabay.
According to Mongabay, scientists, using climate simulation models at the UK’s Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research, have forecast significant “die-back” of the Amazon rainforest by mid-century and a virtual collapse of the ecosystem by 2100. So, it would seem that if the current trend continues, the future of Earth’s largest rainforest looks bleak.
Click on the following photograph from the National Geographic website, taken in November 2010, which shows the Negro River, a tributary of the Amazon coming to an abrupt end.
The Amazon is further looked at in chapter D in terms of deforestation.
Key points
➢ The Amazon rainforest contains about thirty per cent of Earth’s species.
➢ World rainforest cover has over thousands of years decreased from twelve per cent to five per cent.
➢ The Amazon helps to recycle CO2, a gas which contributes to global warming and while doing so produces about twenty per cent of Earth’s oxygen.
➢ CO2 levels rise and fall with the seasons. There is greater landmass and hence vegetation in the northern hemisphere, which means that when Earth is tilted towards the sun during northern summertime, CO2 levels drop as a result of there being greater uptake of CO2 from photosynthesis. During the winter, the opposite happens and CO2 levels rise again.
November 25, 2012
Shark Attack! What terrifies you…?
I was trying to think of a suitable blog to write for Halloween and considered writing about my top ten scary films or something like that, but when I heard the news of a recent fatal shark attack off Surf Beach in California, I realised that for me, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of being attacked by a shark, particularly the great white variety. The chances of this happening to anyone is of course remote, but for a truly terrifying look at the global shark attack situation, here’s my very late blog – dum dum…dum dum dum dum… dum dum dum dum dum dum…
Following the recent California shark attack, where unfortunate Mr Francisco Javier Solorio Jr. became the latest fatal shark attack victim, I decided to find out how many shark attacks occur worldwide, and was surprised by the answer. Below are the worst cases that have taken place just in the last 12 months, most recent first. Let’s see where the most risky places to swim or surf are, and who has ended up as a fatal statistic for the ocean’s apex predator….and also those that have had a very lucky escape…
4th November 2012 – Marcelino Riglos, had his right foot and ankle bitten by a Tiger Shark while spear fishing in Hawaii.
30th October 2012 – Scott Stephens, 25, is resting in fair condition after emergency surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, Calif. after sustaining multiple mid-torso bites from a White shark estimated at 9-to-10 feet long.
27th October 2012 – 51-year-old woman from California was attacked over the weekend by a shark off Makena Landing Beach Park on Maui
23rd October 2012 – Mr Francisco Solorio Jr fatally wounded in California
25th September – Brandon Tyler had a lucky escape when out surfing in Florida when he had his left arm bitten
10th September 2012 – Lucky escape for Kylie Maguire, 29, was bitten on the thighs and buttocks by what is believed to have been a three-metre Bull shark.
6th September 2012 – Another lucky escape for James Fyfe while out surfing in Florida. He lost so much blood he may have lot consciousness
26th August 2012 – In the last week of August, the body of Tiago Jose de Oliveira da Silva, 18, was found in the sea just south of Recife, in north-eastern Brazil. An autopsy ruled he had been killed by sharks. His death was the 56th shark attack in Recife in 20 years.
6th August 2012 – Luck escape for Fabien Bujon attacked by a Bull shark in the Reunion Islands. Witnesses said the shark had severed a hand and a foot from the victim, but he made it back to the beach by himself.
30th July 2012 – Lucky escape for Chris Myers. Massachusetts officials confirm it was a great White shark that attacked a swimmer off Cape Cod last week. Click on the link to hear the 911 call.
23rd July 2012 – Alexandre Rassica was fatally attacked in the Reunion Islands while out surfing
14th July 2012 – Ben Linden - bit of an unfortunate name – was fatally attacked by a massive White shark while out surfing in Western Australia.
If the above doesn’t scare you, these terrifying statistics from The SHARK ATTACK files will;
2011
119 incidents with 17 fatal attacks
16 male, 1 female
Most horrifying – Peter Clarkson in Australia, consumed by two white sharks as the boat captain looked on.
2010
98 incidents with 11 fatal
10 male, 1 female
Most horrifying – Henry Usimewa in Fiji, taken by a large shark in front of friends and family.
2009
112 incidents with 14 fatal
13 male, 1 female
Most horrifying – French citizen Katrina Tipio in Egypt, bitten on the leg when surfacing, shark still biting her when she was pulled onto the boat.
It’s difficult to imagine what must go through a person’s mind when being attacked by a shark, I get jittery enough when just looking out into the deep blue sea when swimming or scuba diving, especially in some of the more exotic locations of the world, which is a rare occasion. I remember vividly arriving in Hawaii – on honeymoon – and being desperate to get into the water. I did, and followed two turtles as they swam off the rocky reef close to the hotel. The sea was deep and i thought about sharks, but not enough to put me off searching for the two turtles I’d seen. Looking back, i’m note sure if i’d be able to go swimming in the deep ocean again, even though it was close to a rocky reef. I think I have become more afraid with age however, despite watching Jaws for the first time when aged only 9.
This blog is for all those brave souls who go to the aid of shark attack victims, swimming out to help someone, knowing the apex predator is still lurking about beneath the ocean, and of course all the survivors of shark attacks, families and friends of those unlucky people listed that have been killed by the ocean’s most feared creature.
It’s not all bad news of course if you enjoy swimming, surfing and scuba diving. Despite the horrifying prospect of being attacked by a shark, according to Discovery News, the odds of you getting killed are of course not that great…
“Sharks always seem to be taking the rap as man-eating villains –- in the media, movies and books. So let’s get a little perspective. Your chances of being attacked by a shark are just one in 11.5 million, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. On average, there are about 65 shark attacks worldwide each year; a handful are fatal. You are more likely to be killed by a dog, snake or in a car collision with a deer. You’re also 30 times more likely to be killed by lightning and three times more likely to drown at the beach than die from a shark attack, according to ISAF.
Even digging a sand hole is more dangerous…”
So, after reading this, what terrifies you?
Apart from being scared of sharks, Simon Rosser is the author of Kindle action-thrillers TIPPING POINT, IMPACT POINT, and the factual A-Z OF GLOBAL WARMING. Why not check them out today…?
August 2, 2012
Mysterious Whale Deaths…
Crowds gathered to Newport Beach on Sydney’s northern coast in August 2012 to see a dead Humpback whale that had been washed into an ocean-side swimming pool. The thirty-foot long, twenty tonne juvenile whale will cause huge problems for the Sydney authorities not least because of the stench caused by the rotting blubber, but also because of the fact that the carcus is likely to attract packs of hungry sharks who’ll want to feed off it!
Read the story here – http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/baby-whale-washes-up-in-sydney-rockpool/story-e6frg6nf-1226440079835
The whale is likely to have died out at sea.
Action-thriller IMPACT POINT starts off with a similar storyline as two dead blue whales are washed up on beaches in the UK and the Eastern Seaboard of the USA – see synopsis below.
MYSTERIOUS WHALE DEATHS…
When the World’s largest ever creature – a blue whale – dies in front of Robert Spire on his local Welsh beach, the UK’s Department of the Environment and local population are ill prepared. When a second whale washes up dead on Myrtle Beach on the opposite side of the Atlantic, the scientific community starts asking questions.
A QUEST FOR METEORITE FRAGMENTS…
Environmental lawyer Robert Spire; newly recruited to the UK’s Global Environmental Command Unit – GLENCOM, flies over to South Carolina to investigate. Whilst there, he teams up with marine biologist Dr Sally Rivea, also assigned to the case. Meanwhile, ex marine Travis Dexter is on the run in Nevada after he discovers the body of his employer - philanthropist Julian Smithies – murdered in his home. The only object missing; a recently discovered, rare and valuable meteorite.
A FUTURE GLOBAL CATACLYSM…
On the island of Exuma In the Bahamas, four sport divers make a startling discovery at the bottom of Mystery Cave blue hole. Sixty miles offshore in the Caribbean Sea, drilling on the Proteus oil rig turns to disaster as the drill penetrates something hard on the ocean floor. Dr Rivea, at a loss to explain the high levels of the mineral olivine discovered in the whale’s tissue samples, accompanies Spire to the Caribbean in search of answers, but what they discover doesn’t bear thinking about…
After seeing the Sydney whale story, I wondered how many large wales are washed up on the world’s shores and was surprised by the answer…
The Sydney whale is the most recent, but here’s a list, with links to the news articles-
Vancouver June 2012 – Juvenile Humpback whale beaches itself and dies at White Rock Beach – http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/12/bc-beached-whale-vancouver.html
Skegness, UK March 2012 – A 50 foot long Sperm Whale with a large gash in its side beaches itself - the fourth whale to do so in recent years – a sad sight for the locals who came to view – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-17260850
Kent, UK March 2011 a 45 foot long Sperm whale beached itself on Pegwell Bay off the Kent coast – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13614855
Yorkshire, UK September 2011, a 30 foot long Sei whale was found beached in a field close to the Humber Esturary – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8796084/Mystery-as-beached-whale-found-in-field-in-Yorkshire.html
California, USA 2007 a spate of blue whale deaths causes alarm amongst scientists – http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/blue-whale986.html#cr
There are many reasons why such magnificent creatures end up dead on the world’s beaches. Disease is an obvious one, predator attack another or more commonly being hit by a large ship, causing the whale massive blunt trauma is quite often found to be the case. Military activity affecting the whales sonar capability is another factor. It has also been said that changes in the Earth’s magnetic fields or underwater earthquakes, or the advent of some other natural disaster causes the whales to flee or become confused…. whatever the cause, the sight of such a magnificent and majestic creature lying dead on a beach near you would be very sad sight indeed.
While a cause was found for most of the above whale deaths, the deaths of two blue whales on both sides of the Atlantic only days apart is not so clear. As marine biologist Dr Sally Rivea and Robert Spire struggle to search for the answers, why not try and solve the puzzle yourself? Download your copy of Kindle action-adveture thriller IMPACT POINT today, you won’t regret it…
USA readers click HERE
UK readers click HERE
July 30, 2012
Tipping Point Action-adventure thriller – Intro Chapters
TIPPING POINT
SI ROSSER
SCHMALL WORLD PUBLISHING
TIPPING POINT
“The point at which the number of small changes over a period of time reaches a level where a further small change has a sudden and very great effect on a system…”
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
For Zuzana
PROLOGUE
April 5
“ONLY ANOTHER FOUR of these trips and we’re done,” Davenport shouted to his friend, as he looked back at the jagged cliffs rising out of the ocean on the bleak leeward side of the Ile de l’Est.
“Thank God! Don’t ever ask me to sign up for anything like this again. After the year we’ve spent down here, I’m sure we’ll both be exempt from having to do any further voluntary research for a while,” Hawthorn replied.
Dawn was just breaking over the windswept isles, as the old wooden fishing boat chugged out of the make-shift port on Ile de l’Est, one of six islets that make up the French Crozet Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean. The sub-Antarctic archipelago – part of the French Southern Territories since 1955 – was uninhabited, except for a small research base on the main island, Ile de la Possession.
“You know Adam, I could think of better things to be doing during my gap year. Monitoring penguins and sea creatures doesn’t feature high on the list,” Hawthorn said, turning the boat towards the sampling zone.
“Don’t forget it’s your turn to update the catalogue with whatever marine samples we find,” Davenport shouted, throwing the well-used notebook across the deck to his friend.
Adam Davenport and James Hawthorn had been based on the main island, Ile de la Possession, along with five other research scientists for the last eight months, and were now embarking on the final four months of their placement as part of an international monitoring team, studying the many different species of penguins, seals, birds, flora and fauna unique to the archipelago. The islands were in fact one large nature reserve, since being declared a national park back in 1938. The two researchers felt long forgotten by the outside world. The monthly food drop, by small plane from the French Kerguelen islands – some thirteen hundred kilometres to the east – was their only real comfort.
The boat’s bow rose up on the crest of a wave as they motored out of the protected inlet toward Ile de la Possession, and the buoy that marked the research area, some two kilometres out from the eastern shore.
“It sure is calm out today,” Davenport said, looking out over the horizon. A group of five petrels circled above the boat as they arrived at the marker buoy. Hawthorn cut the engine, letting the boat drift toward the orange buoy. “Pass the rope so I can tie her up,” he yelled.
Davenport threw him the frayed end of the rope, which he secured to the chain on the buoy. The boat bobbed up and down on the light swell as Davenport went to retrieve his packet of Marlboro’s from the wheelhouse. “How many pots are we supposed to be pulling up today James?” He shouted over to his friend.
“Looks like we dropped eight overboard last week,” Hawthorn replied, flicking through the scruffy, worn notepad which dated back to the 1960s. “It’s going to look like seafood pick and mix by the time we haul them all up.”
Davenport lent over the side of the boat, taking in a deep breath of sea air. He pulled a Marlboro from the packet, licked the end of it, and placed it between his lips. “There’s a very strange smell on the port side,” he shouted to Hawthorn, who was getting the sampling kits ready to drop overboard.
He flipped the top of his Zippo lighter open and struck the flint. Before Hawthorn could answer him, a flash of light and heat exploded around them, completely engulfing the wooden fishing boat.
Hawthorn felt the force of the explosion as he was thrown into the shattered wheelhouse, followed by an instant of agonizing pain, then darkness.
Davenport opened his eyes. He was in the water, surrounded by flotsam and covered in burning oil. He tried to swim through it, but the task was futile. He screamed, and dived under the water. The last thing he felt was a searing pain in his lungs as he sank into the freezing depths.
CHAPTER 1
London, April 15
DR. DALE STANTON sat at his desk in the darkening room of his Russell Square apartment staring blankly at the glowing computer screen, his eyes tired and sore. His face was impassive, except for the visible, nervous twitch in the corner of his mouth, which revealed his gathering thoughts.
He was putting the finishing touches to the presentation that he would be giving to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change conference in Oslo, Norway, in a little under a week’s time. Stanton had been working on his current project for almost eight months, and the conclusions he’d reached, he had little doubt, would concern the scientific world. Reaching over, he turned on the desktop lamp and rubbed his eyes, before leaning back in his chair to stretch his aching neck.
Looking back at the monitor, he started reading over the salient parts of his presentation to check it one final time before finishing for the evening. He resumed typing; making what he hoped was the final amendment to his paper.
We know the Ocean Thermohaline Circulation is an important Atlantic current powered by both heat ( thermo) and salt ( haline ) which brings warm water up from the tropics to northern latitudes. Without it, the Eastern Seaboard of the USA and climate of Northern Europe would be much colder. I have been re-analysing all the data amassed by the RAPID-WATCH program and m y calculations reveal that the measuring devices have been incorrectly calibrated. Twenty-five of the thirty devices used to measure ocean flow were set by the manufacturers to measure fresh water. When calibrating the data to factor in measurements for denser salt water, the figures revealed…
Stanton jumped, as the telephone on his desk rang. He took a deep breath, and sighed as he reached over his laptop to pick up the phone. “Hello!” There was no answer. “Hello!” Again, silence. He replaced the receiver. His train of thought interrupted, he sat quietly for a moment before completing the final sentence, then saved the amendments and closed the program down. He clicked on his private finance folder to check an insurance policy he knew was about to expire, and as he did, accidentally opened the file containing a copy of his will. Perusing it, he reminded himself to amend the charitable legacies clause in order to make a gift to the team down at RAPID. God knows, they would need all the help they could get.
He’d had the will prepared after receiving a large sum of money from his father two years earlier. A colleague had recommended a local firm specialising in environmental law with a promise that one of the firm’s senior environmental lawyers, a Mr. Robert Spire would be appointed as a co-executor. He closed the file, reminding himself to have the will amended when he returned from Oslo next week.
Stanton reached across his desk and pulled the research book he’d been using from the shelf to double check a couple of facts. He flicked through the pages to a section entitled The Younger Dryas period. Around 12,900 years ago – just as the world was slowly warming up after the last ice age – a rapid descent back to colder conditions occurred in as little as ten years or so, a mere blink of an eye, in climactic terms. A shut down of the Atlantic Ocean Thermohaline Circulation was thought to have been a possible cause of the rapid chill. Stanton’s hair stood up on the back of his neck as he considered the possible ramifications of his latest research.
He closed the book, turned off his laptop, and ran his hands through his lank brown hair. As he got up from his desk, he looked out of his window at a deserted Russell Square and closed the blinds. He realised he’d been working for almost six hours, and it was now coming up to five P.M on Saturday evening.
He enjoyed living alone in his two-bed terraced townhouse apartment in London’s Russell Square, one of only a few private residences left overlooking the park. He had noticed various businesses, as well as the University College of London taking over most of the area during the last twenty years. The district was dotted with restaurants and bars, and in a couple of hours he would be meeting up with an old friend for a well-earned drink in the Hotel Russo, not far from his apartment.
He briefly took hold of the memory stick containing his presentation, before putting it back down gently. The facts, figures and details of his paper were spinning around in his head. He knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he had given his talk in Oslo. He’d been over the calculations at least ten times to ensure they were correct. He walked into the bathroom. Unbelievable; how could they have failed to check the calibration on the measuring equipment?
Just as he was about to get in the shower, the phone rang again. He picked up the receiver, “Hello!” There was silence on the other end. As he replaced the phone he heard a click on the line. Not again. He shrugged, and stepped under the shower.
Stanton was in the middle of drying himself when a text message came through from Mathew confirming the arrangements. They would be meeting in the Kings Bar at the Hotel Russo; a warm intimate wood-panelled bar, and one of his favourite local watering holes. He finished drying and put on a white linen shirt and glanced in the mirror. He looked and felt tired. He splashed some aftershave on his face, locked the door to the apartment and headed down the hall stairs and wandered out into the warmth of a mild spring evening.
CHAPTER 2
THE HOTEL RUSSO was situated just five minutes from Stanton’s apartment on the opposite side of Russell Square. The park, one of the square’s main features looked empty, but the early evening traffic was picking up, a mixture of late night shoppers and taxis, collecting and dropping off their fares…
Interesting in reading more? Please click Amazon UK or Amazon USA to get taken to book’s home page.
Thanks for reading, Si Rosser.
