State of Fear by Michael Crichton
By F. F. Mormanni
New York: HarperCollins, 2004
774 pp. $9.99 (paperback)
“When you have a strongly held belief, don’t you think it’s important to express that belief accurately?” (103). This is the question that a litigator asks protagonist Peter Evans in State of Fear after Evans provides several imprecise definitions of global warming. It’s not, as he initially thinks, the “heating up of the earth from burning fossil fuels”; it’s not, as he next guesses, the “heating up of the surface of the earth from the excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is produced by burning fossil fuels” (102). No, it’s the “theory that increased levels of carbon dioxide and certain other gases are causing an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere because of the so-called ‘greenhouse effect,’” answers the litigator (102). Puzzled, Evans is then ushered into a conference room to be videotaped in front of a mock jury, wondering how much of what he believes about climate change is actually true.
One of Michael Crichton’s most varied and provocative thriller novels, State of Fear takes readers on a journey from the politically charged environmental law firms of Los Angeles, to the volcanic terrains of Antarctica, to the isolated rain forests of the South Pacific, and beyond—tracing the protagonists as they attempt to prevent a group of ecoterrorists called the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) from manufacturing a calamity that would threaten mankind.1 In Los Angeles, Evans works as a lawyer for George Morton, a wealthy philanthropist who has dedicated significant time and resources to the National Environmental Resource Fund (NERF).
After Morton discovers that some of his donations have been used for nefarious purposes, he is approached by John Kenner and his associate, Sanjong Thapa, who are on a quest to stop the ecoterrorists behind this. These terrorists are planning to use their orchestrated environmental catastrophes as “evidence” to convince the general public that global warming is a pressing concern. However, before Morton can act on this information and recoup his donations, he is declared missing and presumed dead after a smoldering automobile wreck. This prompts Kenner and Thapa to recruit Evans, along with Morton’s assistant, Sarah, to accompany them on the risky international endeavor.
Throughout this adventurous story, Crichton artfully incorporates real-life academic sources, graphs, and other research, slowly piecing together his own thoughts about global warming and comparing these with commonly held beliefs. The characters discuss these topics in transit, and Kenner dispels the others’ misconceptions. For example, on their way to Antarctica, Evans insists that the continent is melting at an alarming rate. Kenner retorts that the Antarctic Peninsula, which makes up 2 percent of the continent, has shown a slight increase in temperature over the past six thousand years, whereas other areas of the continent have gotten slightly cooler (243).2
Once there, Kenner’s plan is to prevent ELF from activating explosives that would break the ice on some of the glaciers, producing an iceberg. Evans and Sarah chase the terrorists across the ice and end up stranded in an abyss, suffering from serious injuries and near frostbite before they escape. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Kenner and company travel to other locations to prevent ELF from creating artificial lightning, flash floods, and a tsunami. Certain elements of these adventures are unrealistic because Evans and Sarah implausibly survive numerous life-threatening events and recover from serious injuries; however, the story contains enough substance—punctuated by compelling plot twists—to keep readers intrigued.
When others express concern about species extinctions, rising sea levels, natural disasters, and new diseases allegedly caused by global warming, Kenner lucidly parses fact from fiction, dispelling many a myth. He explains that without knowing how many species exist, it is impossible to say with certainty whether the rate of extinction has increased in recent years (529). He acknowledges that sea levels are rising but that they have “been for the last six thousand years. . . . at the rate of ten to twenty centimeters—that’s four to eight inches—every hundred years” (531–32). Readers have theorized that Kenner is a stand-in for Crichton himself, whereas Evans represents those who accept ideas about global warming without independently examining relevant data.3
Crichton includes many other real-life sources, suggesting that data are often misconstrued to compensate for gaps in knowledge or to support political agendas. Readers looking merely for entertainment may find the many arguments and claims in State of Fear—bolstered with footnotes and an extensive bibliography—cumbersome and overwhelming. But clearly, Crichton sought to address active-minded readers open to hearing unpopular claims on a controversial topic.
In an attempt to avoid being misinterpreted for the themes presented in State of Fear, Crichton included an “author’s message” at the end of the novel, where he clearly stated his opinions on global warming and his analysis of the research he conducted. First, he wrote that people “know astonishingly little about every aspect of the environment, from its past history, to its present state, to how to conserve and protect it. In every debate, all sides overstate the extent of existing knowledge and its degree of certainty” (715). This makes it extremely difficult—if not impossible—to make accurate predictions about the planet. In Crichton’s view, “an informed guess is just a guess,” and we should not make decisions regarding environmental policy until we have been able to develop climate models with at least a decade of proven accuracy (716).
Crichton suspected that certain environmental changes are due to increased human activity. But he held that there is no reason to impede human progress, given how little we know about the risks involved (717). He remarked that issues surrounding global warming have become too politicized and that the environmental movement is in need of reform (719). He concluded his message with a statement about his love of being in nature, hoping that its beauty will be preserved for future generations (720).
Although Crichton’s novel was published in 2004, many of his observations still stand true. Today, environmental activists such as Greta Thunberg instill an actualstate of fear in many, claiming that “we are in the beginning of a mass extinction” and condemning those who dismiss these “threats.”4 To be fair, Thunberg herself is a victim of such fear, used as a puppet by eco-alarmists who attack human progress. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently stated that “2020 was another unprecedented year of extreme weather and climate disasters.”5 Headlines warn of a “climate ‘abyss’” and that the “‘hottest year on record’ is likely to occur in the next five years.”6 By now, we have heard similar predictions thousands of times, and few have come true.
Shortly after the release of State of Fear, Crichton wrote in Parade magazine,
“I’ve seen a heap of trouble in my life, and most of it never came to pass,” Mark Twain is supposed to have said. At this point in my life, I can only agree. So many fears have turned out to be untrue or wildly exaggerated that I no longer get so excited about the latest one. Keeping fears in perspective leads me to ignore more of the frightening things I read and hear—or at least to take them with a pillar of salt.
For a time, I wondered how it would feel to be without these fears and the frantic nagging concerns at the back of my mind. Actually, it feels just fine.
I recommend it.7
For those interested in a thought-provoking story with a wealth of resources that may lead to such relief, I recommend State of Fear.