I really wanted to this book, but I guess if someone is writing a climate change/geoengineering book that is set in the near future on Earth- a science fiction book, I expect at least a rudimentary understanding and interweaving of the SCIENCE part of the fiction. I could not finish it. I got 150 pages in and decided not to waste anymore of my time. Here were the issues I had with it:

Negative feedback loops - this is what the author calls the greenhouse gas cycles that increase emissions of CO2 and methane. Sorry - they are POSITIVE feedback loops. They may have negative consequences, that does not make them negative feedback. Google the definitions. Negative is a cycle that is self-restricting. Positive is a cycle that is self-enhancing. This author got a Pulitzer and can't bother to do a little research to make sure he has it right?

The sulfur emitted into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight back out (the Cocoon) stays in the Northern Hemisphere. This is actually pretty hilariously ironic considering that the book explains that the idea of injecting sulfur is generated from the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia (the Southern Hemisphere) which caused no summer in Europe (the Northern Hemisphere). Apparently there are no more winds blowing on Earth in 2045, when the injection starts, or thereafter even though there are tornadoes and hurricanes.

Also, please look at a map before claiming that all the islands in the Yukon delta of Alaska - including Kodiak - are being inundated. First, Kodiak is on the other side of the peninsula from the Yukon Delta. Second there are not really any islands off the Yukon delta and especially not inhabited, or habitable ones.

Finally, where is the food coming from for all these gangs and people roaming around the Northern Hemisphere? Would money still really be in circulation given the level of societal breakdown? Not very believable.

The writing was fairly engaging and Yon seems a pretty interesting character, but the author has oil and gas companies killing many of his other main characters off willy-nilly - just when you get to know them.

I am in agreement with the author that geoengineering (in the form of injecting sulfur) is a really bad idea and probably should not be done. If it is, it should be very carefully considered before EVER doing it. One thing most people don't realize is that sulfur reacts with water to form sulfuric acid so you have to keep it really high in the troposphere so it doesn't do that. Nobody thinks it will stay way up there forever. Then when it gets to cloud level we will have levels of destruction of vegetation that will be really bad.

But, please, Mr. Darnton do some research on climate change, geoengineering and feedback loops so that if you write about them again it will at least sound you know what you are talking about. Jacqueline Nyathi622

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