Let me take you back to the summer of 1976—still, to this day, the hottest summer recorded since records began. The heat was relentless, the skies unbroken by rain for weeks, and the country was gripped by a drought so severe that the government created a new ministerial post to manage the crisis.
I was a student then, fortunate enough to have my tuition fees covered, but that summer was brutal in ways I had never experienced before. There was no air conditioning in our exam halls, and the heat inside was stifling. I remember seeing students faint, some collapsing from sheer exhaustion, while others had to be escorted out, unable to cope with the oppressive temperatures.
That summer wasn’t just physically unbearable—it was the moment I started questioning everything. Was this a one-off anomaly? Or was something bigger at play?
The Seeds of a Lifelong Obsession
Curious and unsettled, I began reading whatever I could find on the subject. Back then, many scientists dismissed climate change as part of a natural cycle, something the Earth had always gone through. The prevailing belief was that temperatures would eventually return to "normal," and there was no real cause for alarm.
How wrong they were.
As the years passed, the evidence mounted, and it became increasingly clear that this was no ordinary cycle. The effects of human activity were undeniable:
A 1.5°C rise in global temperatures over the last 30 years
The significant shrinkage of polar ice caps
The widening holes in the ozone layer
The hottest months and years on record occurring with increasing frequency
Despite the growing crisis, the world’s response has been a mix of progress and denial. Some governments have embraced green initiatives—electric cars, reforestation projects, and a push towards carbon neutrality—while others remain reluctant, dismissing climate change as exaggerated or inconvenient.
But as much as I was concerned about the facts, I was also fascinated by the possibility of solutions.
Could Science Reverse Climate Change?
Even with the global push for sustainability, I often wonder: Will it be enough? Are we already past the point of no return?
Extreme weather events are intensifying. Storms are stronger. Floods are more destructive. Heatwaves are deadlier. It’s impossible to ignore the signs that the climate is shifting in ways that threaten our future.
And yet, despite all of this, I hold onto hope.
That hope led me to write my novel. A work of fiction, yes—but one grounded in the belief that innovation might still save us. My book imagines a world where a revolutionary fuel—one that doesn’t just reduce carbon emissions but actively reverses climate change—becomes the last beacon of hope for humanity.
It’s an idea I’ve obsessed over for years. What if the key to undoing the damage we’ve caused is not just reducing emissions but actually repairing the planet? Science brought us to this point—but could it also be our salvation?
A Message from 1976 to the Future
I’ll never forget what my tutor told me on one of those sweltering days in the summer of 1976:
"Chemicals have caused this issue… and maybe chemistry can solve it."
I was a chemistry student and very close to my personal tutor. It was a statement that never left me. And decades later, it became the foundation of my novel- The Catalyst.
Perhaps fiction is where new ideas begin. Perhaps an idea, no matter how wild, can inspire real-world solutions.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you think we still have time to fix this? Could a breakthrough like the one in my book ever exist in reality? Let’s talk because the conversation is far from over.
Stephen C. Lawley
Author- The Catalyst
コメント