WNC authors pen 'climate change novel,' with chapters from Michael Mann, Bill McKibben

ASHEVILLE The scenario sounds like the stuff of science fiction – all of Earth is under attack by gasoline-powered cars and electricity from burning coal.

The more people drive and flip on lights and computers, the more pollutants are emitted, the hotter the Earth gets, and the higher the oceans rise, the more our food is at risk and the sicker the planet gets.

Only it’s real, and it’s called climate change. But two local climate change experts thought the topic was rife for a novel and have just published “Train Wreck Earth: A Scientific Novel about the Climate Emergency and A Path to Solve it.”

David Harman, a CPA, scientific journalist and environmental activist in Boone, and Dr. Harvard Ayers, professor emeritus of anthropology and sustainable development at Appalachian State University, and chair of the North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition, will present their book at an Earth Day event April 22, at the Oshun Mountain Sanctuary in Richmond Hill.

Also speaking Sunday will be Dr. Michael Mann, one of the country’s leading climate scientists, a widely published author and Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State.

Mann was one of eight climate experts who make “guest appearances” as themselves in the book, along with Bill McKibben, author, activist and founder of the climate campaign 350.org and Danna Smith, of Asheville, executive director and found of the Dogwood Alliance, who will also speak on Sunday.

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“I have two granddaughters. The more I read about climate change, the more real it becomes. The actual results they measure are turning out to be more extreme than we thought. If you have grandchildren, we’re leaving a world for them that will not be easy to live in,” Harman said, who admits to being “obsessed” with climate change and imparting its importance to the masses.

Ayers said too often climate change is talked and written about by scientists who write for other scientists, leaving the rest of the lay world scratching their heads.

“That’s why I think we play an important role,” Ayers said. “We understand the science and push hard to get science into popular sphere.”

Their “Train Wreck Earth” is the latest endeavor to that end.

“We said let’s write a book that is a scientific novel, create a fictional classroom, with two fictional professors who happen look a lot like Harvard and me, discussing all real, current and settled (proven) science, invented 20 fictional students, some quite liberal and progressive, some quite conservative, gave us a great cross-talk debate to hear classic biases aired out,” Harman said.

“This classroom setting turned out to be the perfect place to have this conversational style of explaining the science in ordinary words that people can understand.”

They also decided to through in some twists for the professors with outside lives and love interests, friends and associates trying to stop a fracked natural gas pipeline (that looks a whole lot like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline), and then had the audacity to ask the top climate experts in the country to play parts in the book as guest lecturers, and provide their own original material.

Smith said was honored to be asked to be part of the book alongside climate movement luminaries.

“Climate change is one of the biggest threats humanity has ever faced and we have a small window of opportunity to avoid an ecological catastrophe. Creative ways of communication the issue and solutions, such as reflected in the novel, are essential to reaching more people,” Smith said.

She and Ayers were two of the founders of the nonprofit Dogwood Alliance 20 years ago, working to protect Southern forests, but also highlighting the essential role that forests play in offsetting climate change.

“’Train Wreck Earth’ created an important opportunity to elevate the critical need for the U.S. to focus on forest protection in addition to fossil fuels,” she said.

The book was recently honored as one of the Top 100 best books in the 2018 Shelf Unbound Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition.

“Our goal was to make this a good read that is interesting to the end because of plot twists. They haven’t had the right motivation until they read our book,” Harman said. “We want to reach smart people of good will, interested bystanders, to give them the right motivation to take action.”

If you go

"Preserving and Cherishing the Earth," will be 12:30-5:30 p.m. April 22 at OM Sanctuary, 87 Richmond Hill Drive, featuring climate scientist Michael Mann, author of "Return to the Madhouse: Climate Change Denial in the Age of Trump."

“Train Wreck Earth” authors David Harman and Dr. Harvard Ayers of Boone, and contributor Danna Smith will speak at 12:30 p.m. followed by a book signing. Mann will speak at 3 p.m.

There will also be lessons on sustainable practices, healthy alternatives and a meditative hike. Suggested donation. Register at Eventbrite.com or visit www.omsanctuary.org.