Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry For The Future imagines our world in the depths of climate disaster. The intertwining storylines and chapters focusing on economic, political, or scientific approaches to saving the earth present an interesting hypothetical: is there really anything we can do about climate change, or are we doomed? Per our class discussion, I don’t believe Robinson’s story is the end-all-be-all of solutions, but he does present many throughout the novel that I had never considered before. One of the solutions mentioned was to pump water from under Antarctic glaciers to the surface of the glacier in order for the water to re-freeze. This practice hypothetically would stop glaciers from sliding or melting at such an extreme pace and slow rising sea levels. Robinson introduces this concept on page 81 as a simple idea, a possible solution that the ministry and some very rich people try. As we see, later on, it doesn’t exactly work out as planned. However, I became increasingly interested in these scientific solutions and their real-world advantages and limitations. The process of pumping water to the surface of glaciers is known as geoengineering and has since been debunked as a less-than-stellar climate solution. Not only is it incredibly costly and inefficient at best, but it also only slightly halts rising sea levels rather than fixing the issue, meaning more problems for future generations anyway. Yet real scientific effort has been put into this idea, with notions of geoengineering going back to 1841 (with some tweaks here and there).
The other idea, and arguably the biggest solution in the novel, is the carbon coin. The carbon coin is a form of currency the Ministry uses to incentivize fewer carbon emissions for individuals and massive corporations. When reading about the carbon coin I thought to myself, “how in the world did Robinson come up with such an idea.” As it turns out, the idea was actually based on a theory by Delton Chen, an Australian engineer. According to an article by greenblue.com, called “Carbon Coin: Science Fiction or Currency of the Future?”, this approach is slowly making its way onto the economic scene and has gained even more support because of Robinson’s use of the theory in his novel. However, the implementation of such a currency may be years in the future, as critics fear the hyperinflation caused by this monetary system would be devastating.
The Ministry For The Future was unlike anything I have ever read. The storyline was compelling, but I found myself more invested in the solutions Robinson lays out and their real-life counterparts. I began searching endlessly for other scientific studies that had the potential to somehow stall the spread of climate change. The solutions presented in the novel may not be perfect or applicable to the real world yet, but my curiosity was piqued by these examples. Ultimately, I think that’s what Robinson’s goal is; so much devastation will come if our climate is not addressed, but there is hope if great thinkers can keep coming up with new solutions and find ways to implement them.
Robinson’s solutions are a compelling aspect of the novel, and I believe they help to provide a sense of hope and optimism to what would otherwise be a disheartening read. Although some of his solutions may seem far-fetched in both time and application, they do help to get readers think about what solutions are possible in combatting the climate crisis. Right now, it is difficult to imagine many of these solutions working, especially those that require large shifts in economic and social institutions, without some sort of large-scale devastation as a motivator. For example, the implementation of the carbon coin “needed everyone on board for it to work; all the central banks would have to agree to both the problem and the solution” (Robinson 189). The central banks do not agree to adopt the carbon coin until towards the end of the novel when economic institutions are in shambles across the world.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, we also see that people begin traveling by more eco-friendly systems of travel; however, these forms of travel also take longer in transport. Mary travels by a specialized ship similar to a clipper ship (418). Although by the end of the book this is a common form of travel, these ships do not come about until planes and container ships are being shot by torpedoes. In our world today, it is difficult to imagine many of the solutions in the book taking place without similar devastating events also occurring.
The plausibility of Kim Stanley Robinson’s solutions to the climate crisis has been a consistent topic, and this posting has strengthened all of Robinson’s solutions. In the book, Robinson constantly speaks on solutions (glaciers and water refreezing, carbon coins, etc.), but their plausibility is somewhat construed. Robinson presents the solutions without actual sources or citations, only purely logic in the book. So, when the blog posting cited the solutions, validity is added to the argument. Furthermore, greenblue.org goes on and the author uses statements from Robinson to further his explanation of the carbon coin, with Robinson stating, “‘petro states are dangerously dependent on deriving income from the fossil economy’” and asked us to consider how we might ‘pay the carbon states not to burn’”. This continued explanation gives Robinson more and more credibility as he presents seemingly fictitious solutions to a real problem backed by actual research.
ReplyDeleteWith all of the points being stated, these solutions, just like the story itself, are plausible but not probable. Robinson agrees with this statement as well, “the author (Robinson) humbly reminded the SPC audience that science fiction writers are not fortune tellers” (greenblue.org). Robinson’s credibility is not tarnished by this statement, however, his intention in presenting plausible solutions was to “spur conversations rather than provide a blueprint of solutions”. Although Robinson delivers solutions, he wants us, the audience, to create solutions for ourselves that will be most effective for the current situation based on the state of the climate and the world’s needs.