World of Thermo: Carbonated

The stories / chapters within World of Thermo. . .Carbonated relate recent climate change history. Thermo and his carbon pollution-fighting friends battle the allegorical Carbo, who represents greed and denial in association with the climate crisis. This book is the story of Carbo, a twisted carbon dioxide molecule, who manipulates both humans and nature toward his nefarious aim of releasing as many trapped "friends"-other carbon molecules-from the ground as possible. Carbo tries to persuade human beings that global warming is not a problem. After each story, I write about basic scientific education and history relevant to that particular chapter, documenting what has recently happened in the "real world".

Thermo, his new partner Therma and their climate scientist and environmental friends, are continually thwarted by Carbo and his minions of oversized carbon molecules who try to keep truth and science at bay. Carbo has much in common with those who are delaying efforts to mitigate climate change. The fight between Thermo and Carbo represents the struggle of science and reason to overcome shortsighted apathy and greed. Carbo and his obsequious minions also exploit human disbelief, as well as avarice and tribalism similar to what permeates today's politics. . .in short, those who want to keep profiting from fossil fuels.

The stories in this second collection chronicle some of the major climate and weather-related events after 2005, when Thermometer Rising the first book ends. In my alternative universe, inanimate objects come to life in amusing and sometimes frightening ways. As the global warming problem worsens, so does Thermo and Therma's plight. I have presented climatologists and meteorologists as heroes, particularly those whom I have personally known in my 30-plus year career at The Weather Channel. I am confident you will enjoy the stories, and I hope they spur you to action in joining efforts to prevent the climate crisis from getting much worse.

- Guy Walton, "The Climate Guy"