O.C. Heaton's Blog, page 8

Can a giant balloon really cool the Earth?

It has been reported that the summertime volume of Arctic sea ice fell to a record low last year. This made me recall another recent story: one that entailed mad scientists, a long pipe and balloons in the sky in order to cool the Earth. If you read it you'll remember it: it was too crazy to forget.

In case you missed it…

Next month, British scientists are planning to test a scaled-down version of what, if successful, will become a tethered balloon the size of Wembley Stadium...

Science Fiction: has China got it right?

My fellow writers Damien G Walter and Mark Charan Newton recently published excellent posts on a topic that has been swirling around my own head for some weeks: the future for science fiction. As both point out, China is now the largest market for science fiction writing. The reason for this is quite astounding. According to Damien:

"China is the world's manufacturing powerhouse. But it doesn't invent or design the things it manufactures… China wants to capture the creativity...

I never set out to write an eco-thriller…

I have two confessions to make.

Firstly, I never set out to write an eco-thriller.

Secondly, when I began to write my first novel, I wasn't remotely concerned about the environment.

What I wanted to write was a story that picked up on the themes of the moment. And ten years ago, when I first put pen to paper, those themes happened to be greed and the burgeoning green movement. "Greed and green", I thought. It had a nice ring to it.

I also wanted to ensure that the story was as...

What Would Ray Anderson Do?

Have you heard of Ray Anderson? Up until recently, I hadn't. However since his death in August 2011 I have not only learnt a lot about him, but come to admire him greatly. Why?

Ray Anderson was an extremely active and successful environmentalist, which, given his commercial background, is unusual to say the least. In his late thirties, he founded InterfaceFLOR, a commercial carpet-tile manufacturing business. By the time of his death, it was turning over $1 billion a year and e...

Is the race for fusion power on?

If Americans needed first-hand evidence of the impact of global warming, they need look no further than Hurricane Irene, which blasted a 1,100 mile trail of destruction along its Eastern Seaboard last week. The statistics are startling, with some areas receiving more than 15 inches of rain in one day: the heaviest rainfall for more than 116 years according to the National Weather Service. Nine thousand flights were cancelled and millions were left without electricity as a...

The birth of billions: the first step towards fusion power?

Two birth statistics caught my eye this week. One is well known, the other less so.

As you may know, the birth of the seven billionth person will take place in October of this year, most likely in India or China.

Following hot on its heels will be the birth of the billionth car. Yes that's right, there will shortly be one thousand million motor vehicles clogging the roads of this planet. That's one car for every seven men, women and children. It's a phenomenal statistic and one ...

Iceland's low carbon future: can we do it too?

I have previously blogged about the speed at which carbon emissions are rising and the need for a low carbon future. Essentially, emissions are on an upward growth curve that shows no signs of stopping. The evidence to support this increase is overwhelming, and whether or not you believe that the rise in emissions is the cause of global warming, the outcome is undeniable. I guess we'll just have to get used to rising sea levels and more extreme weather patterns! In fact, many ...

What came first: flying or failure?

Did you read about the Falcon HTV-2 last week? Billed as the fastest plane ever built, it was lost in a test flight somewhere over the Pacific. But not before recording speeds in excess of 13,000 miles per hour, or 20 times the speed of sound!

Just over 100 years ago, flying did not even exist. It was not until one day in December 1903 that the Wright Brothers made their inaugural flight. They were able to keep their prototype aloft for just twelve seconds, during which time...

The greed of the human race and a world without consequence

As I sat watching the riots unfold across Britain last week, I couldn't help but draw similarities with another two recent events. Firstly, the MPs expenses scandal and secondly, the financial shenanigans which nearly brought down the Western banking system.

The link between these three events is also a theme that runs through my 2009 thriller, The Human Race, and its recently completed sequel due out February 2012. It is the simple observation that humans are inherently...

The energy debate: what would you choose?

Let's play a game.

Imagine you've just been appointed Energy Czar for your country and you have the opportunity to restructure its future energy policy in an environmentally acceptable manner. What would your chosen policies be?

Why the question?

Well, I've just spent the last six months answering it in the sequel to The Human Race, or at least my heroine from the first book, Uma Jakobsdóttir, has. And I have to say she comes up with a pretty good plan, despite the many...