Peace through awareness and action

Congratulations to Al Gore, the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Ever since throwing off the shackles that come with being a politician, Gore has worked fairly tirelessly to bring much-needed attention to one of the biggest issues of our day: global climate change. It's a problem that transcends political, national and religious affiliation, and one that deserves everyone's undivided attention. We're all part of the problem and we're all part of the solution.

And yet, despite the overwhelming evidence that shows the impact humans are having on our home, there are still those people who would bury their heads in the sand and claim that climate change doesn't exist or that it's "not so bad." Whether they do so out of fear and ignorance or out of greed, I don't know. But it baffles me that anyone could be so vehemently wrong about something so fundamental that it effects the viability of the only home human beings have.

Just take a look at the comments on this post over at Folkbum's Rambles and Rants. I like to think better of people, but how anyone could still be clinging to the wishful notion that there's nothing wrong with our climate, our ecosystems, the very air we breathe...well, it's just mind-blowing.

Before we can even hope to solve or address problems like poverty, war and disease, we'll need to get at the root of the thing. Our fast-growing population, industrialization, over-crowding--all of these are effected by the environment and, in turn, have an effect on the environment. There's no getting around that, no matter how far into the dust bowl you bury your head.