Geode: A Novel about Environmental Ethics

by Sharon Kaye

When Mark discovers a fish kill at his local pond, his classmate Theo tells him about the new technology that her mother has been working on at the town’s Nature Center, an AI chatbot called ChatGEODE. GEODE is an acronym for Great Environmentalists On Demand Electronically. And like a geode (a rock that reveals crystals inside when broken open), ChatGEODE holds within it a a storehouse of information collected from individuals who promoted various ideas about the responsibility that humans have toward the natural world. And so launches Mark’s exploration into environmental ethics.

The next day, Mark discovers a cave that contains three glowing orbs that claim to be stars that have come to Earth to help humans deal with the crisis of climate change. As he learns more from both the AI chatbot and the stars, Mark becomes frustrated with what humans are doing with nature. Although he is sworn to secrecy, his frustration eventually leads him to bring Theo to the cave with him.

In the meantime, Theo, who is equal parts realist and activist, has been working on a kid-friendly chatbot of her own. Her goal is to help students like Mark and herself learn more about climate change and what they can do about it. Her knowledge on the subject and her desire to address it enable her to assist Mark in unraveling the mystery of the stars, as well as in charting a path forward as they strive to do their part to help solve the climate crisis.

This intriguing and compelling story includes an extensive “Explore More” section that will guide readers to think more deeply about the concepts in the novel. It contains excerpts of important works written by the seven real-life thinkers from the novel, followed by discussion questions that will enable students to dig deeply into the issues, allowing them to formulate their own thoughts and opinions about possible solutions to the problem of climate change.

177 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Sharon M. Kaye, PhD, is a professor of philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. She’s also the author of Big Thinkers and Ideas: An Introduction to Eastern and Western Philosophy for Kids.