On the political side of things, I have been donating copies of The Big Melt into legislator hands for their nightly bedtime reading. There are a group of very important bills on the state level that should be viewed and voted on through a climate lens. If you want copies to hand deliver to your representatives, let me know.

I also got a wonderful and very thoughtful review this week on Amazon. I thought I would share it with you.

Imagining the future so we can survive and improve it – by Connie L

We have reached a point in our history where there is no version of the future that does not include climate change.  This is a reality that we are accepting less gracefully and far less quickly than one might wish, but here it is.

One of the challenges of facing climate change has always been how big and abstract it is.  Scientific reports can only get us part of the way to crafting a human response to our changing world.  Ned Tillman’s The Big Melt is part of a growing body of speculative fiction that helps us more fully imagine living in a world of climate change.

James Holland Jones, an associate professor for Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, sees a critical role for storytelling in understanding the complexities of adapting to and mitigating climate change, and he says that books like The Big Melt can help us see “how people work, how they fight back, how they engage in [the] prosaic heroism of adapting to a changed world. This is powerful. It gives us hope for a better future.”

The Big Melt does all of this while sharing both the seriousness of the challenges we face and the hope of what people can accomplish when we work together towards a better future.  I love how capable and smart the book’s young protagonists are, and I recommend this book whole-heartedly.

We got the text at 9:30 this morning – Tundra Swans on Lake Elkhorn! Kathy and I got our boots and coats on and went down the snow covered paths to the lake. There was about 2 inches of snow on the ground that had fallen during the night and it must have been enough to persuade the migrating swans to settle for the night. We watched them for a while. They went back and forth out in the middle of the lake, there were 20 of them in this flock. At one point we tried to discern their quiet conversation. It slowly increased in volume up to the point of quite an enthusiastic rally and then all of a sudden half of the swans took off followed by the other half. Their long wings slapping the water’s surface, helping to lift their bodies out of the lake. They took off to the East into the wind, rising their white bodies up through and above the gray and green winter forest. Moments later we heard them again as they doubled back, high over the lake heading west-northwest. And they were gone. What a sight. What a way to start the day.

Out of 250 nominations, here are the Top 11 titles under consideration for One Maryland One Book 2019

• The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermitby Michael Finkel
• The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized Worldby Jeff Goodell
• What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American Cityby Mona Hanna-Attisha
• Lab Girlby Hope Jahren
• Flight Behaviorby Barbara Kingsolver
• The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural Historyby Elizabeth Kolbert
• Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring True Story of the Woman who Saved the Appalachian Trailby Ben Montgomery
• The Overstoryby Richard Powers
• Dryby Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
• Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Islandby Earl Swift
• The Big Meltby Ned Tillman

I have read 4 of these and can vouch for their quality. It is an honor to part of this process.

No – I didn’t write the book shown here. But it is one you should read.

Unfortunately few people will read it. Those who do will then want to share their perspective with others. And then it gets crazy because it gets spun up into a political debate much larger than the information contained within it’s covers. These interpretations take on a life of their own.

That is our challenge. The news often numbs us. Who has time to keep up with it. And to be “news” that people read – it often is sensationalized. Over-the-top views are all too common and end up polarizing us.

Young adults and adults alike are overwhelmed by all the talk and all the scientific evidence that has been flowing across our media this past few weeks. Don’t you wonder, how we process it all? What can we do when an important report is published, realizing that few of us will take the time to read it?

We need stories and honest storytellers. We need both true personal stories and fictional ones that tell us a greater truth. These stories can help us get and stay engaged. They can help us process the news and all the noise that emanates from people discussing the news.

That’s why I wrote The Big Melt. I am a storyteller. And, yes, this book is a fictional story but it is based on truth. The truth about what is already happening to our environment and the truth when it comes down to seeking solutions to our rogue climate. I want to reach people on a visceral level and I want to offer them role models and actions that they can take. I hope everyone reads this book. It is an important tool that can be used to further the public debate.

It has been fun and rewarding to watch the reviews of my new book, The Big Melt, come in. Here are a few:

Publishers Weekly/BookLife Prize says this

Ned Tillman’s The Big Melt is a fast-paced novel for young readers that advocates taking care of the environment and illustrates the possible negative impacts that might occur if humans should neglect this responsibility. Tillman’s solid prose is appropriate for the target audience

Tillman’s novel is certainly inspiring and unique, melding together a firm call to action for young people to consider the environment and a young protagonist’s decision to protect his town. The fictional events in the novel are bolstered by a list of Earth-friendly actions that readers can utilize in their own lives, as well as a discussion guide to help spark conversation in classrooms and reading groups.

Angie Boyter– Top Amazon Reviewer

The Big Melt is near-future speculative fiction with some charming touches of whimsy, like Joe, Marley’s inner voice, who motivates and encourages him when he needs it most. I will not spoil Tillman’s fun by telling you who Joe is, but I can predict with confidence the identity will give you a laugh.

Despite its very serious subject, there are a number of nice touches of humor throughout the book, like the description of the mess in Ranger Max’s office: “His office paperwork would pile up on his desk until it slid to the floor. It then flowed out the door, where it was read and recycled by a family of fungi living in the soil just beneath the wooden steps.”

Shelley Von Hagen-Jamar– A fable for our times

The Big Melt is a fable about the devastating effects of climate change on a small town. It incorporates information about the threats to our environment in a way that young adult readers can understand, and it is written with enough whimsy and imagination to surprise and entertain all readers. It is a wake-up call for the next generation!

Brian England

I can’t say I enjoyed reading this book because it’s scary, we have all seen changes to the climate and wonder what will happen when we reach the tipping point! The author presents a scenario in a very interesting way, following this young couple as they become active in their community only to ……
I could not put this book down and read it in two sittings. It seems like it’s aimed at young people but it has a strong message for all of us.

Janene Holzberg wrote a great article about the book in the Baltimore Sunpapers

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bs-md-ho-ned-tillman-20180926-story.html#share=email~story

Stay-tuned for more feedback. Better yet, read the book and send in your own review to Goodreadsand Amazon.

This angel impression is from a robin/dove? crash into 3rd story window

Have you noticed? There is a big trend toward “glasswashing” in the building industry these days. Just look around and you’ll see a lot of 2 to 20 story buildings covered with glass – thus the term “glass washing”. I don’t think it is a very interesting style of architecture. I would also think it’s not very good for energy efficiency – resulting in higher operating costs. Must be cheaper to build.

In addition to those questions, these glass covered buildings kill a lot of birds. As a result there is a big push to find ways to prevent birds from flying into these windows. The light at night and the reflections of blue sky during the day has lead to a billion birds dying per year from collisions with these buildings. We know these numbers because groups all around the country  actually go out and count the dead birds each morning.

So there is a growing push for bird proofing windows. Of course this is cheaper to do in the design/build stage than as a retrofitting effort. And yet it can be done and is being done – such as at the Howard County Conservancy. Here in Maryland there is a push to pass the Maryland Sustainable, Energy-Efficient, Bird-Safe Bulidings Act of 2019 to deal with this problem. Stay tuned.

Bird collisions are also a big challenge in residential settings especially ones with feeders. It’s not just an issue with big buildings – much of the damage happens at canopy level. We all need to retrofit our windows-at home and at work – to cut down on these negative impacts on the birds. The picture shown here is just one of several bird collisions that I have heard this fall. Look carefully at this picture – it is a dramatic angel-like image showing the wings and the body of a bird flying at full speed into a glass window.

This particular bird may have been a little impaired since the crabapples that have been planted all around our community parking lot are dropping their fermented fruit. It seems to be affecting the birds who are eating them in quite a frenzy. Unfortunately some of them end up flying into windows. I will need to treat my windows even more to reduce the carnage. You can too. You can get the necessary instructions and supplies from your local bird store or Audubon Society. It’s something we all can help with.

If you get the chance to read Paul Hawken’s Drawdown, you will see there are many approaches for reducing our carbon emissions. Some are more surprising than others. Many are things we all can start doing today. What I like about his book is that even those of us who are heavily entrenched in industries like fossil fuels can take major steps without necessarily losing the value of their assets. There is no reason to stall or defer our decisions any further and many reasons to take corrective action right away. After all we have been stalling, or “studying” this problem for 50 years.

I am also very interested in Congress’s current effort to float another bill that places a price on carbon. It is a step forward. We could argue it is too little-too late, but we need to be moving on many fronts. See more on my earlier Facebook Post.

The IPCC report last week should be enough to get everyone moving ahead on some action. There are plenty of options for each of us to choose from. Each of us can get moving today on steps at home, on the highways, and in the office. Check out this list: https://savingtheplaces.com/ten-steps-for-a-cooler-climate/.

Photo by Dominika Greguu0161ovu00e1 on Pexels.com

Now that the elections are over for a few months, we need to double down and make sure government at all levels are pursuing actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our transportation, agricultural, waste disposal, industrial, and residential sectors. We need to be relentless and stay on top of this issue every day. We need to look at everything we do through a climate lens. We all need to be climate aware.

This should also apply to our purchasing practices. We have a lot of power to demand from the marketplace more sustainable products. Let’s support the leaders and avoid those firms who do not take this situation seriously. Don’t spend a buck without asking yourself the following questions:

1. Do I really need it?
2. Is there a more sustainable option?
3. What will I do with it when I am finished?

So put on your climate-aware glasses and look into the future. We better act now or that future is not going to be so bright.

Check this out: The leading Cli-Fi (climate fiction) Blog, Burning Embers, is a popular spot to explore the latest in climate fiction. It is hosted by Dan Bloom, who was the first to coin the phrase Cli-Fi as this new genre was just taking off a few years ago. Dan immediately reached out to me when my book was released last week. He has now asked me to submit a guest blog.

The importance of novels like The Big Melt is the subject of this recent guest post entitled: Can novels save the Earth…or at least our climate? You might find it of interest.

Click here for blog

I do have a normal life. I play racquetball, take care of my grandchildren about once a week, actively participate with The Horizon Foundation and the Maryland Academy of Sciences, and help other organizations when they ask. Then all of a sudden you drop a book tour on top of that and you get chaos. It’s challenging just trying to keep it all straight. I feel like I need a manager!

But it’s all important.  It is what it takes to get a book launched – although I think The Big Melt sells itself. But most people haven’t heard about it yet, so that’s my job – to spread the word.

And that is easier to do with this work of fiction than it was with the two non-fiction books I have written. Most of us are very concerned today and interested in what we can do as our climate continues to change. The book helps all of us, no matter our age, to address that question.

But it still takes a lot of time to reach out. Just take a look at my November calendar below. I will be busy. If anything interests you come join me if you like. The events below with start times are open to the public.

Ned’s November 2018 Schedule – so far!

• November 1 – Watermark Presentation on Climate Change
• November 2 – Friendship Baptist Church High School
• November 3 – Explore Columbia on Foot – Downtown Lakefront at 10am
• November 4 – Forum on Climate Change at Owen Brown Interfaith Center
• November 6 – Vote
• November 7 – Presentation at Poly High School in Baltimore City
• November 8 – Explore Columbia on Foot – Amherst House at 10 am
• November 8 – Hammond High School discussion with students and teachers
• November 9 – Evening of Storytelling at HoCo Conservancy at Mt Pleasant 7-9pm
• November 10 – Storytelling Workshop at Belmont Conf Center from 9 to 1 RSVP
• November 16 – Featured Speaker at the NSTA Annual Mtg at National Harbor
• November 17 – Barnes and Noble in Columbia Mall – Book Signing from 11 to 4  T.        (This is a good time to get a personally signed copy of The Big Melt.)

Let me know if you would like me to come to speak to your group, class, business, book club, etc. These are the titles of my normal talks:

• The Big Melt – Coming of Age in a Time of Changing Climates
• Can Fiction Save the Earth (or at least the climate)?
• The Chesapeake: Past, Present, and Future
• The Keys to a Sustainable Future

Enjoy your November and be sure to get outside while the trees hold their color.