Blog Archives
NOVEL SENDS UP CLIMATE ACTION
Animal Farm 2 is a fiction story by Martin Knox, a sequel to Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945). It updates up to modern times: energy geopolitics, climate change and animal liberation. The animals live on an island, Caruba, near the Democratic Union, but are enslaved by pigs who rule with ruthless autocratic leaders, parodying presidents of the Social Republic, culminating in Dimitri, who wants to restore their empire. When climate concerns stop the animals mining coal, their only income, they learn climate science in night classes, gaining a new and different understanding of the issues. Will the animals accept the shutting down of Caruba’s coal-fired power station and cessation of coal export? Will they challenge the pigs’ leadership? This is a humorous book that showcases the author’s technical understanding of the basic climate science issues, which he presents with engineering accuracy and a teacher’s clarity. It is a satirical novel story that is always entertaining.
Available on Amazon. Reviews: martinknox.com
Review of Animal Farm 2
ONLINE BOOK CLUB by Tony Official » 03 May 2022
Animal Farm 2 by Martin Knox is a political satire that was also written as a fable, just like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Written as a follow-up to Orwell’s masterpiece, this novel talks about the continuance of the revolution of the animals. It is a jump from frying pan to fire, judging from the fact that the animals that were hoping for a better life after the revolution found themselves in the totalitarian hands of the pigs.
After the revolution spearheaded by Old Major and Napoleon many years ago led to the deposition and banishment of Farmer Jones from his establishment, the animals sat back, hoping to enjoy the fruits of freedom that took every drop of their blood, sweat, and tears only to find themselves in the hands of a terrible government where votes didn’t count and voices were not heard. But then, the animals realized what they had to do; they invested a lot of time, risk, and resources in educating themselves in science and learning. After a very long while, their quest for freedom from the pigs began with the rise of Arnold the bull.
As a follow-up to the great Animal Farm, I would say that the book really made its mark, considering the big shoe it had to fill. The description and imagination of the author to create scenes depicting animals going about their daily activities like humans were amazing. At some point, it felt like a science textbook because the author tried to drive home his points with his knowledge of chemical engineering, a course he studied at the university. This made the book more appealing, especially since the author has a lot of knowledge about science. Pain and freedom were predominant themes in the novel, and the way he was able to balance both is commendable. As a child, I had always hoped that the book Animal Farm would have a sequel. This book by Martin Knox fulfilled that fantasy.
The book had very few grammatical errors, a testament to good professional editing. However, the only negative thing about the book is that at some point, it turned into a textbook on climate change. With all of these very well-considered, I’ll rate this book four out of four stars. I couldn’t convince myself to give it any other rating other than this.
I strongly recommend this work of art to lovers of politics. People who enjoy reading historical-fiction novels and lovers of literature would be best suited for this book. This book is also recommended to science students.
Available on Amazon martinknox.com
]
MORE HUMAN HEAT WARMS EARTH
Earth could be heating by a small amount of global warming. The bigger picture is that the Earth is in thermal equilibrium with the Sun. Heat enters the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans steadily from daily solar radiation and from human consumption of energy. Some of the heat leaves quickly, radiated back into space. Other heat lingers and is gradually dissipated.
Time for heat present to be replaced is its average residence time, which I have calculated as roughly 60 days for heat on Earth. On average, heat would circulate for 60 days before it is radiated into space. Some heat would be present more briefly, while other heat could be present longer. The heat would flow from hot to cold places. The heat could be absorbed by the oceans or land masses until released again and passed into the atmosphere and space.
Hot surfaces, air and water cool by flow of heat to lower temperatures. The heat on Earth flows in winds and ocean currents reducing to ambient temperatures. The energy at this temperature is too cool to be used and is called ‘entropy’. The Earth’s thermal sources of energy such as fossil fuels, fires and geothermal resources are running down as they are converted to entropy.
An increase in residence time of heat on Earth would be measured as higher temperatures, such as global warming. The most likely explanation is entropy gain by increased wastage of heat by humans. Increased radiation entrapment seems unlikely by physical processes.
A new paradigm of climate science is in my fiction novel Animal Farm 2.
Reviews: martinknox.com
WHO WILL CONTROL ANIMAL FARM?
After the revolution that brought the pigs to power, the animals found they were no better off, in the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945). How can the animals overcome their state of subjection to tyranny? Martin Knox continues the story in a sequel: Animal Farm 2. Will the animals achieve freedom?
Available on Amazon. Reviews: martinknox.com
