The Laws of Nature have been around long before man arrived on the scene, along with often and repeated cataclysmic consequences to Earth and its plant and animal inhabitants. But, hey, if the proverbial tree falls and there's no one to hear it crash, so what? However, what if the timber comes thundering down and "civilized man" happens to be present at the same time? Worse, what happens when it DOES happen and modern Homo sapiens get involved in trying to pick up the sawdust and wood chips? The Distant Flutter of Wings presents a scenario in which, consistent with the general concept of Chaos Theory, minor occurrences - taking place in a particular sequence and at most inopportune times - cascade into a host of global climatic impacts. Taken by themselves, even these extreme ramifications would theoretically be controllable, or at least able to be addressed in a thoughtful, well-executed best-case plan for the future. The blemish on the rose/fly in the ointment: human beings - their selfish desires, instincts for self-preservation above all else, and deep-seated prejudices which often trump even sound, rational scientific reasoning. The mix of astronomy, geology, nuclear physics, and global economies combine to fundamentally impact the lives of an average American family, a geology professor and his associate, and military men of several nations. Adding the uncertainties of Mr. Murphy and his Law, along with plain old dumb luck (bad) leads to circumstances far beyond what was originally predicted or expected. And just when it seems that it can't get any worse - it does.