Near Future Sci Fi with a scientist in a tent in the desert who runs to a 'monastery'. Energy harvesting as a theme?

SciFi - starts with a scientist in self-exile in a tent in the desert who is maybe hunted and runs to a 'monastery'. The monks save him (and mostly die in doing so). I think that at some point in the book, the scientist's campsite is revisited - he maybe studies the damaged ecology of the post-apocalyptic future. There may also be genetically modified villains, and weather control. Fire tornadoes? Some sort of book that the scientist wants to learn about, but most monks won't talk to him? One monk who will talk to him and tries to explain that he doesn't know much but he is willing to die for his ideals?