State of Fear

Evans, Sarah, Kenner, and Sanjong take Morton’s jet to Antarctica. On the way, Kenner asks them if they have heard of ELF, the eco-terrorist group that Morton may have unintentionally been funding. Kenner also mentions he suspects that NERF is connected to ELF. He shares what he has found out about ELF’s plans: four events timed about a day apart at different locations around the world, all designed to wreak environmental devastation made to look like the results of global warming. The purpose, Kenner implies, is to galvanize public opinion in favor of the theory of global warming, covering up research that does not support it, including suggestions that Antarctica is getting colder. Evans and Kenner talk further about climate science, conflicting reports, and the likelihood of the Vanutu lawsuit failing: “It’s hard to claim global warming is flooding your country if sea levels aren’t rising,” Kenner says (188).

The group arrives at Weddel Station, a research center near Mount Terror. Still disbelieving the claims that Antarctica is not warming, Sanjong gives Evans a list of scientific references reinforcing the argument. Against Evans’ response that energy companies might have financed those studies, Kenner retorts that one could say Evans is financed by the environmental movement’s agenda.