Peter Prasad's Blog: Expletives Deleted - Posts Tagged "environment"

This fascinates me. I’m a retired Boy Scout and former green guy that rolled the vision uphill at an enviro agency. No names, as a fiction author should, but you can imagine. I’m also a defender of Mother Nature, the bugs and birds and bees, the flowers and trees.

Every hallowed redwood grove I visit feels like a cathedral to me, a Notre Dame with pine needles. I grow plants to feed hummingbirds that zoom and swoop outside my window. So I love it when fiction writers gather to craft stories that amend “stinking thinking.”

EURIKA I said when the NY Times and CS Monitor blessed Cli-Fi as an emerging new category of fiction. It’s eight years old now, so time to take this kid to the Gaia festival in a rainbow headband.

That’s the intention of my next Sonoma thriller, GUT-CHECK GREEN, wherein my PI Jake Knight goes undercover to track down dastardly environmental terrorists that spank a nasty fertilizer company. Oh, I play fair, tell both sides of the story, but maybe my green slip is showing when I wrap with a bang and an afterburner chase - a helicopter racing a train. Hollywood forgive me, but oh Gaia, I loved writing this one.

Here’s what the pundits say about Cli-Fi: The label climate fiction or cli-fi for short serves a purpose, it's an excellent way to focus people on the upcoming challenges of climate change. We are facing an intricate mix of social trends that reinforce each other: Population Explosion; Rapid Urbanization (more people live in cities than in the country); Explosive Industrialization with attendant rising/choking pollution; Globalization that reduces bio-diversity (species are disappearing at such a fast rate that scientists are talking of the Sixth Extinction - in geological times, there were five extinctions before this one, including famously the dinosaurs); Growing Income Inequality (according to the economist Piketty whose book is the talk of the town, we're back to the high inequality levels characteristic of the Belle Epoque and the 1920s before the Great Depression), the implication being that benefits from scientific advances will accrue to the ultra-rich who can afford them, causing a deep cleavage in society. Add Climate Change to the mix, with attendant global warming and rising sea levels, and what you have is surely an explosive mix! (credit: Claude Nougat)

Small wonder novelists are inspired. Peek outside your window to see what we’re playing for. This ain’t penny ante poker, mama. Nathaniel Rich's Odds Against Tomorrow, is considered an excellent example of cli-fi. It has all the right elements (New York under water!) and the plot is focused on the human dimension, on how we can react to such emergencies, which is a key feature of cli-fi. (Ed Note: Please don’t react the way fictional characters in GUT-CHECK GREEN do or FBI will cremate you.)

FOR KIDS says Chriscinthia Blount -- Jo Marshall, author of "Twig Stories" piqued my interest in Cli-Fi and I'm not scientific by any stretch of the imagination! "Twig Stories" is a series which introduces young readers to the natural world and environmental issues. These stories are ingeniously woven around creatures called Twigs who must deal with the consequences of global warming and climate change. Her stories are entertaining and educational for children and adults alike. The series includes "Leaf & the Rushing Waters", "Leaf & the Sky of Fire", "Leaf & the Echo Peak", and my favorite "Leaf & the Long Ice". http://www.amazon.com/Leaf-Long-Ice-T...

Well, there you have it recyclers, Prius drivers, bicyclists of all stripes and gardeners of all faiths. How we treat our planet is a learned behavior. So what will you teach? Conquer the dirt or resonate with sunlight and rain? Gaia awaits the decision of all her wayward children, and she does appreciate that you can read now.

Care to get your Cli-Fi on? To go with the flow and be a burner page-turner? Take a deep breath and start coughing out opinions. We’ve been pumping coal dust since 1830s, car exhaust from the 1920s, and Mother wearies of her works getting grimed. When she shrugs, we lose New Jersey shore; amusement parks; Naw’lins levees and wicked fun jazz clubs; the migration of snowy egrets at sunset over the ‘Glades.

May your garden be greener, your spirit cleaner and your bliss button stuck on full throttle (all-electric or pedal power, naturally). On’Ya, dear readers.

GUT-CHECK GREEN, a climate thriller due this summer. PI Jake Knight goes undercover to track down environmental terrorists. Here's an excerpt from Chapter 32 on the GMO debate:

PI Jake Knight poured another cup of coffee and kept an eye on Brenda Winters’ Prius, via the map on his laptop tied into Hazard Security’s server. It hadn’t moved. He turned on the TV and flicked through CNN, FOX and MSNBC until he heard mention of Gut-Check Green (the name of the terrorist group).

FOX had assembled a panel in its Washington studios, with three environmentalists brought in by satellite feed. The moderator was a taunt blond gal that quickly lost control of the discussion. The three in-studio executives represented Lasso, ConAgra and another agro-chemical manufacturer, but that’s not what held Jake’s interest. One of the environmentalists was Professor Daryl Lassiter, retired. Jake turned up the volume.

“What the general public doesn’t understand is how genetically modified crops help protect the world’s food supply. Blight-resistant potatoes are just one example. Right now, under strict scientific conditions, with safeguards, we’re working to incorporate defenses against plant diseases, which destroy fifteen percent of the world’s agricultural harvest every year,” the Lasso rep said.

The next panelist supported him. “Despite fungicides, late blight and other diseases ruin about twenty percent of the world’s potato crop. Stem rust destroys twenty percent of the wheat crop every year. Bananas, a primary source of food in Africa, are often destroyed by wilt disease. In all these cases, genetic engineering has the potential to create new varieties far better able to withstand the onslaught,” he said.

“We’ve been doing this since the 1990s” the Lasso rep added.

“Safely and with great scientific advancement. Transgenic corn, soybeans, and cotton have been engineered to resist insects and herbicides. The corn and soybean crops go mainly into animal feed, biofuels, and cooking oils,” the third panelist said.

“And that, gentlemen, is where the environmental community wants you to draw the line,” Lassiter said from his remote location. “No genetically modified varieties of rice, wheat, or potatoes are widely grown, because opposition to such foods has discouraged investment in developing them and because seed companies haven’t found ways to make a profit on those crops, like they do with genetically modified corn and soybeans.”

Tanya (Jake's love interest), awake from her nap, walked into the living room and snuggled next to Jake. She wrapped up in a quilt and kissed him. “That’s why I’m sticking to organics, locally grown.” she said.

“It’s just information,” Jake said, “but this guy Lassiter is of interest.”

“Cop killer?” Tanya asked.

“No. but maybe the money guy or the big thinker behind them,” Jake said.

“He is smart,” Tanya said.

“Smart and dying with liver cancer,” Jake said.

The Lasso panelist continued. “With a global population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, the world needs help feeding people. We’ve dramatically improved agricultural productivity over the last fifty years, but improvements are tapering off while food demand, larger populations and wealthier shoppers want more. Demand will rise fifty percent in the next forty years. Lasso will be there for them.”

“Either we increase yields or we have to use significantly more land, fertilizer, and water,” another of the corporate reps said.

”Climate change is a factor too,” the blond moderator added.

“It certainly is,” the Lasso rep said. “It makes the problem worse. Higher temperatures and wetter conditions spread infestations. Drought, storms and hot days already take a toll on crop yields and it’s only going to get worse. For farmers, the weather has become far more unpredictable, and extreme weather has become far more common.”

“Well, that’s a start. It’s nice to hear FOX admit climate change exists,” Lassiter said.

“We didn’t say that,” the blond moderator said. She looked stricken.

“No, but all three of us on this panel are concerned about extreme weather events on long-term food productivity,” the Lasso rep said.

“That’s why GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) are a necessity. It takes fifteen years of conventional breeding to make a new potato, but we can do it in the lab in six months,” another panelist said. “It’s an overwhelmingly logical thing to do. The upcoming food pressure on poor countries means we must use this as a tool.”

Lassiter jumped at that. “Time to tell the truth, gentlemen. The commercialized genetic engineering of crops has been a technical failure. The scientific goals have not been met. Crops have been designed to withstand specific herbicides and produce pesticides within the plant tissues. But, and this is a very big but, GM crops invite super weeds that show more tolerance to herbicides and insects. Basically, GM seeds work for ten to twenty-five years, then Mother Nature evolves to end your advantage.”

None of the panelists responded. The moderator looked lost. Lassiter continued: “It’s simple. From a business perspective, GM crops are wildly successful. The global seed market is now run by an oligarchy of companies like you guys. And sales of associated herbicides, like Lasso, have skyrocketed during the roll-out of GM seed. So you and your shareholders are happy, you’re making money.

“But, from a safety standpoint, the genetic engineering of seeds remains unproven long-term. Your seeds are untested. And in your hurry to market, you threaten the world. You haven’t done enough studies. It’s easy to find farmers that experience problems with their livestock when they use your GM feeds. Truth be told, the GM seeds are not yet proven long-term safe prior to release for public use.” Lassiter looked thrilled with himself to make that point.

The FOX moderator went to commercial. Jake and Tanya waited through four minutes of commercials. They were not interested in Viagra, acid reflux, a Medicare subscription plan or a long-term life annuity. The moderator came back on and announced trouble with the video feed from Santa Barbara. Lassiter had disappeared.

The Lasso panelist made a summary statement. “When people are hungry or starving, they will not care if protein or fat was produced with GM genes. Additionally, climate change and human population growth, increasing by one billion every twelve years, will make GMO technology a certainty.”

“Care to refute that, Doctor Lassiter?” the moderator asked. She sounded smug.

Lassiter’s image appeared on the screen. “Genetics are a solution for many current problems and upcoming problems. But in my opinion, genetic engineering is the wrong approach. Here are other strategies to consider.

“One: Focus agriculture on crop synergies, crops that can be grown together and support each other. Beans and corn together, for example. Nature avoids single crops. Monocropping creates unhealthy, abnormal systems.

“Two: Move agriculture away from reliance on grains. Fruits and vegetables offer more to livestock and humans than grains. Unfortunately, our farmers have perfected the growth, handling and processing of grains, so grains dominate our agricultural systems.

“Three: Use natural husbandry instead of genetic modification. It may take longer, but it’s safer. And world food supply is at risk. Look at apple production,” Lassiter said.

FOX displayed a black-and-white illustration of a Jonny Appleseed character with an apple orchard behind him. Lassiter continued: “By ramping up genetic selection, we can find great apple genetics that are resistant to disease, resistant to insect pressure, great to eat and superior for storage. This is exactly what Johnny Appleseed did by planting apple trees from seeds.”

The moderator interrupted. “We have to take a break, professor. We’ll come right back to you on Mom and apple pie,” she said. The lights went dark on the studio panel and Jake and Tanya sat through another four minutes of commercials.

The discussion continued with cut-aways to the panelists. “Too expensive,” one said. “Takes too long and there’s no money in it,” another said. “People want to eat more than apples,” another said. “They want grain-fed red meat.” He looked like he hadn’t pushed away from the dessert table in years.

FOX cut back to Lassiter in mid sentence, “It involves time and labor. And in the process, we achieve far superior foods that require no sprays, fewer cancer-causing agents and lower overall long-term production costs. As for the rest of it, that calls for population control, not GMOs,” Lassiter said. "Maybe you should package your GMO seeds in condoms." He looked tired.

“Thank you for your contrarian opinion, Professor,” the moderator said.

“Unscientific,” the Lasso rep said.

“Unsubstantiated personal opinion, not backed by science,” another panelist said.

“Apple pie in the sky,” the third panelist said. The moderator laughed at that. “Final comments, Professor?” the moderator asked.

“We’re suffering a rapid increase in Celiac disease from life-long wheat consumption. My point is that what you eat has consequences and some of it is not well understood. Messing with our food supply has unknown downsides that may not be clear until after its done major damage. There is no good reason to introduce GM foods to the world other than capitalistic greed,” Lassiter concluded. He looked pale and sipped from a glass of water.

“And you’ve traded in Lasso stock, Professor?” the Lasso representative asked.

“Yes, I have, short term,” Lassiter said.

“Well, there you have it. Agro-business is thriving. It’s the hope for the future, and even the nay-saying environmentalists are profiting. This is Candy Maven, for FOX News.” The moderator signed off. Jake turned off the TV.

“Eat more vegetables,” Tanya said. “I think I want to plant a garden.”

“Eat more Sonoma grass-fed sheep cheese,” Jake said. “I wonder who Lassiter is going to short next.”

Note: This is a work of fiction.

GUT-CHECK GREEN
A climate fiction thriller of vigilante justice. Sonoma PI Jake Knight goes undercover against eco-terrorists.

“This is Gut-Check Green, the defenders of Mother Nature, checking in.
Dirt-ball corporations: we rank them, spank them and prank them. Lasso makes poison and now you’re all going to die.
Remember to love your planet. This is Gut-Check Green, checking out.”

Gut-Check Green: http://www.amazon.com/Gut-Check-Green...

CHAPTER 1

Their dance with the Grim Reaper had arrived. After tonight, there’d be no turning back. Pencil, Lizard Bill and Brandy Wine huddled on the tattered bench seat of a smelly plumber’s van. Rain drops tattooed the windshield in an empty car park on Petrified Forest Road outside Calistoga, a hot springs resort town at the top of the Napa valley.

Pencil heard a motorcycle echo on the mountain road and paid it no attention. The heater roared but he shivered anyway. Dim light from the dash-mounted GPS guided his hand into a bag at his feet. He peeled off the VA prescription label and filled the syringe. Living with the effects of exposure to an Agent Orange dioxin was his permanent pain. He’d been within inhalation range of a dirty bomb sometime during his career for the red, white and blue, all off the record in lands far away. He injected the cocktail of anti-viral meds. He had so many cancers, he was metastasizing to a cold grave.

He bagged the meds and wiped his nose on the dirty sleeve of his blue overalls. His hands rarely stopped trembling. He longed for a pain killer, a skin pop of the Dilaudid, his favorite hydromorphone, but he denied himself. Tonight he had work to do.

“It’s about frickin’ time. Lasso Corporation is going down.” Brandy spoke from the driver’s seat with a fervent fire in her eyes and stared at her two soldiers. Her voice ratcheted to a war cry. “We’ll get the attention of the kids, the campuses, the future farmers and foodistas, and we can change the world.” She smacked the steering wheel and pushed her clenched fist toward her partners.

The rabid zeal in her voice embarrassed Pencil. He turned to face her, his ice-cold eyes catching every gesture. He’d heard it before in a dozen briefing rooms and war zones. It was stupid to go into battle with emotions over-amped. But Brandy gave the orders, and Pencil needed her. She was the mother of his craving, so he went along.

Her flushed cheeks glowed red; her bugged-out eyes animated a sad, drooping face. She chomped on a wad of gum. He guessed she was high on amphetamines, with a chaser of nicotine gum. She motor-mouthed her insecurities when she got like this. He knew she drew on a festering ache. This was personal for her.

“Last go for Lasso. Ready to raise the flag?” Brandy howled. She needed to hear them say it one more time. She had a habit of seeking reassurance every thirty minutes, despite being the smart one.

Pencil groaned and knew, for her, it was another kind of need. Brandy had never killed, but Pencil had, too many times. She identified targets and left the execution to him. Lizard was the PC whizz, the creative one, back-up for supply and logistics. It was Pencil who got the killing done. He leaned forward and tapped out a drum roll on the dashboard. He wanted to get his blood up. Every command-post jockey needed to hear her foot soldiers say ‘Oorah’.

“Do or die and maybe both,” Lizard chimed in and bumped fists with Brandy. His laughter turned into a hacking cough with a wheezy rumble deep in his chest. Pencil lived with that sound. He often debated with Lizard about who was sicker.

Pencil extended his fist to bump brotherhood. “I’m dead already,” he said. “Tonight decorates my tombstone.”

“So what if we’re all sick puppies,” Brandy said. “I refuse to let Lasso Corporation poison my planet.” Her jaw chain-sawed at the gum. Pencil cringed; it was like she was auditioning for a Rambo movie.

“Lasso’s wall of lies gets plowed under tonight.” Brandy bounced up and down in her seat like a demented juvenile. “I want to see a sweet harvest for these chemical monsters.” She was wound up higher than a soap box. Chemical monsters? Sure they were; Pencil had a grudge he could extend to any target at any time.

“College campuses will rise up. Society will hear us.” Brandy’s voice overcame the hum of the heater, the engine and the rain. Pencil was afraid to look. He suspected she might be foaming at the mouth. “We the people will know,” she screamed. “And a certain class of assholes goes on notice. Take responsibility for your products, or die. You can’t pump that poison any longer. We, the people, won’t stand for it.”

Pencil wondered if Brandy’s speech qualified as end of life counseling. It made her feel better, and she made him feel better, so what the hell. Then the flash of police lights splashed across the ratty interior and caught him unprepared.

Strobes of red, blue and white flooded through the vehicle in a rapid flicker that sickened him. He closed his eyes, pressed down on his stomach and exhaled slowly. No way could the cops have an alert out already, he thought. He’d stolen the plumber’s van off a job site that morning in San Jose, a hundred miles south, and changed license plates. It had to be routine, or worse, a curious rookie cursed with the helpfulness disease.

“Oh god, Pencil, deal with it,” Brandy shrieked. Her bravado evaporated. She slid down in her seat and moaned like a wounded animal. The flashing colors bounced off her golden locks. She looked wicked old, paste-white skin and sunken eyes. She folded under a chocolate colored party dress and clutched her legs to her chest. Pencil saw the toes of her red stiletto heels hang over the edge of her seat.

Lizard went all spastic, clutching Pencil’s arm, his hands bad with tremors. “I’m begging, bro. Time to do your thing.”