Days of Global Warming

We spent much of this last month talking talking and listening to many people - scientists, philanthropists and others who are greatly concerned about global warming and what it means to all of us who live on this planet. I believe that this issue is paramount in our considerations about life here on Mother Earth.
In Vancouver, B.C. we met with more than a thousand people from around the world who are working on this problem. As you can see from the photo, taken from our hotel window, we are an urban and technological people. It was strange to be in such an environment, even for a few days, when we rarely saw the light of day in that convention center in the bowels of the drab earth. It seemed like the future, and we hated it enough to leave a day early to get back to our life in the sunshine with lizards and our food garden and flowers and the frass that is now falling from the caterpillars in the hickory trees. In every session we heard about the dire condition of our natural places. We also heard about many projects going on worldwide to mitigate these.
After the sessions, Andy and I talked our heads off like we were in our twenties. We thought about our own life and how we could keep on smallifying our footprint and making a difference. We spoke of actualizing our desire to put in more solar power and include our neighbors.
Coming home on the plane I sat next to a couple of old women from Venice, Florida who had been to Las Vegas on a few days vacation to gamble and take in the shows. My head was so full of huge issues we must all pay attention to, I couldn't think of a single thing to say to these people who are only concerned with what's fun now.
These are strange times. Like so many, I have been consumed with politics, and my view has changed over time. I still passionately believe that we must have a change in direction, and Obama is the clear choice. But I now understand that people must have something they can 'hang onto'. For most, it is the compelling issue of personal economics and their fears. One issue voting must take a back seat to the issue of having food on the table and a way to put your kids through college. Gay marriage and abortion are small issues by comparison. I am still alarmed to think that a serious candidate, McCain, would be so cynical towards women to have selected Paylin as a serious person for his running mate. I hate to see all the lies and sort-of lies in the t.v. ads. I'll be glad when all this is over and we can get on to what is really important- the state of our planet.