In 1859 the world experienced a solar event not unlike the Solar Superstorm you describe in The Chaperone – only that time our technological footprint was largely limited to telegraph wires (which caught fire from the massive electric surge). What would happen today if the world was hit by a Solar Storm?
The Chaperone is set in the relatively near future. If we can’t convince Congress and the power companies to take simple actions to protect us, we will all suffer the same fate as in Cole’s world. Depending on how strong the solar storm event is, we could be without power for an extremely long period of time. Everything we rely on now will have to be rebuilt, and that could take many, many years… just to return us to where we are today. Very few people will be ready to live in a world like that. And the thing of it is, we don’t have to.

While often tragic, calamities such as the one described in your book also provide excellent opportunities for people to work together to overcome a common issue. What issue today do you feel we could unite to overcome?
I believe we have the capacity to overcome any and all obstacles if we can find a way to look past our differences (and I am including myself in that – we’re all there). As far as environmental issues go, it is difficult to pick just one, but I would have to choose rising seas. It’s a large issue, but it does have solutions. There are island nations and cities in all countries that will eventually be inundated if we don’t make changes now. Here in the U.S., the National Parks Service has actually listed facilities that will be gone or seriously threatened due to rising seas. This is unacceptable in my opinion.

In addition to solar storms and solar flares, what do you see as being a relatively unknown scientific/environmental issue facing the world today – perhaps something most people wouldn’t necessarily be aware of?
Global over-population, ecological footprints, to include pollution, use of resources (food and water); fertilizer overuse and runoff (pollution, especially in our waterways and oceans); and access to clean, fresh water.

Will it take an epic natural calamity or otherworldly event to force humanity to overcome the petty differences we have?
Well, certainly something like that would force us all to get along, and quickly. But I believe we can get there without that, it’s just going to take time and probably lots of it, unfortunately.

Do you see global warming as being cause by humanity, or is this also something the sun affects?
Most scientists have accepted climate change as being human-caused, but it has become a political issue. I have friends who still doubt the facts. I hope that everyone will decide to take action before the impacts are irreversible. Think about it this way… what harm would there be in lessening our negative impacts on the environment, just in case we are causing climate change? The improvements would not only benefit us, but our children and grandchildren. How could that be a bad thing?