Melting Down

During a too-close-to-call US Presidential election. President Charley Breen must decide
how much to risk in order to stop the international terrorist plot, called "Operation
Noah". Tex Cassidy is the President's life-long friend, a Pulitzer-nominated investigative
reporter, and a master at uncovering the connections between seemingly unrelated
actions. He teams up with Zavia Jansen, a world-class designer of dikes and storm-surge
barriers to uncover "Operation Noah". Admiral Boris Sukirov and his high-ranking coconspirators
view the disappearing Arctic sea ice as Russia's final opportunity to control
the world. Arming mercenaries with suitcase nuclear devices, they hold the world's
glaciers hostage while exploiting the real-world scenarios that readers hear about in
today's media.

Melting Down's real-world scenarios include the disappearing Arctic sea ice, the
melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and global glaciers, the accessibility of the world's
largest untapped oil and gas reserves under the shallow Arctic Ocean, and Russia's
territorial claims as the largest landmass north of the Arctic Circle.

As they criss-cross the globe to achieve their goals, Melting Down's characters represent
many scientific, political and moral viewpoints. These viewpoints range from energy
stakeholders to scientists calling for immediate action to political climate-deniers. The
viewpoints also address questions such as "who benefits from the changing climate?"
and "is there a way to mitigate the worst aspects of the changing climate?"

Collectively, Melting Down provides an action-filled vehicle for exploring many of
today's most complex and pressing issues.