I’m bewildered by the recent kill-the-messenger noise around Al Gore. The guy is being crucified for everything from the size of his home to how he travels. Which, of course, distracts – as it’s intended to do – from his message that the planet is rapidly heating up and we’re all going to be sizzling like bacon in a skillet if we don’t smarten up. But what I’m particularly incensed about is the latest attack, as featured on the front page of the National Post, about how his documentary An Inconvenient Truth is “one-sided.” Students and parents are, apparently, annoyed that teachers are showing this video and presenting it as truth. What about the other side? they argue. Where are the climate change skeptics in all this? Why aren’t children being shown that side? While I think climate change skeptics simply haven’t done their own homework, I, like any good democrat, believe they’re entitled to their view. And I believe that view should be presented in a classroom. But why is Al Gore such a target for criticism? Because Al Gore is a convenient target. He’s rich. He’s white. He’s powerful. And he’s telling us something we don’t want to hear. Something that – if true – is terrifying.
I also wonder what’s to be gained by disputing his message. Let’s say the skeptics are right and that climate change is the earth’s natural cycle. Does that mean we should continue to spew pollutants into the air we breathe at a rate far greater than ever in history? Does that render clean water unnecessary? Should we not still try to protect the thousands of species that are teetering on the brink of extinction thanks to clear-cutting?
The way I see it, this planet – however long it can sustain us – is our home. And it only makes sense as responsbile homeowners to take care of it. Just as I don’t want to live in a shack with a leaky roof, tainted water and a temperamental heating system, I don’t want my children to live out their days on a planet that’s clearly gasping.
So let’s stop this nonsense about Al Gore and his house. And Al Gore and his “one-sided” documentary. And let’s start cleaning up our mess. We can continue any lively debate as we do so – it will help pass the time.

I didn’t post yesterday as I’m trying to save the planet. Yep, it’s almost too good to be true for those of us who don’t subscribe to the Protestant work ethic, but instead worship the weekends. No less an authority than the Center for Economic and Policy Research (with an important-sounding name like that, they must be credible!) has determined that – get ready for it – shorter work hours would significantly reduce energy consumption. Say what? Well, the researchers used their fancy titles and their calculators to determine that if Europeans worked as many hours per week as Americans (and Canadians – our work weeks are similar), the additional carbon emissions could substantially increase the pace of global warming, making it “far more difficult for the EU to meet its commitments to the Kyoto Protocol.” (http://www.cepr.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=726) Of course, we North Americans get around that by voting in leaders that simply ignore the Kyoto Protocol. Then we work ourselves almost to death, spend our spare time at the mall buying toxic crap we don’t need, and wonder why our lives seem unfulfilling. The solution is now simple. Take the day off. It’ll give you a chance to smell the roses, rather than the foul-smelling stuff belching from the tailpipes of the commuter traffic. Just tell your boss it’s part of your master plan to save the planet.

Kermit was right. It’s NOT easy being green. I don’t mean the actual greening of my lifestyle. Frankly, it is easier to take canvas totes to the grocery store (which hold a lot more stuff and can be carried on my shoulder thereby preserving my weak fingers), more fun to bike than drive, and cheaper to simply say ‘no’ to unnecessary purchases. Nope, I’m referring to the knowledge that comes with awareness of the eco-tragedy unfolding around us.

And with that knowledge — for me — came an omigod-we’re-all-gonna-die pervasive anxiety that threatened any sense I had that life was good.
Life is good…for now, anyway. But noted environmental scientist and creator of the Gaia hypothesis (read more at www.ecolo.org/lovelock/what_is_Gaia.html) James Lovelock’s prediction that, thanks to climate change, millions of us will undoubtedly die but the species as a whole will not be wiped out certainly gives one pause for thought…and dread.

And the unrelenting news reports of the melting polar ice caps, the idiotic approval of more and more coal-fired power plants, the petty tit-for-tat of world leaders refusing to curb their own greenhouse gas emissions until China does (consider this: the U.S. and Canada account for roughly 20 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per person; China for less than 3 tons per person) does little to boost my confidence that the world is coming to its senses.

So it was heartening, indeed life-affirming to hear the words of one of my eco-heroes Paul Hawken, brilliant and measured as always, telling us that this is a wonderful time to be alive. In his words: “What a great time to be born! What a great time to be alive! Because this generation gets to essentially completely change this world.”

Hawken advises us to completely reimagine our way of life. We can celebrate diversity of all things, which means put away that toxic weed killer and savour the sunshiney yellow of a dandelion. Give your heart a boost (and waistline a trim) by hopping on a bike for any trip less than 10 kilometres. Refuse to buy fruit that is better-traveled than you are. The list of life-changing, world-changing actions is long. And our time here is short. Let’s make it count…for good.

In the meantime, I’ll assuage my eco-anxiety by tattooing Hawken’s words on my forehead. In green…of course.