Watch This

President Nasheed of the Maldives Addresses the Climate Vulnerable Forum.

As you watch this, consider who should take action and who should pay for clean-up. The more I look into this, the more convinced I become that the only way to get anything done will be to holler and wave our arms at President Obama, for example by calling his office and writing to him with a sense of urgency. The world is still awaiting America’s commitment to positive, adequate change.

And here’s an interesting thought for you. The countries which have created and still comprise most of the problem are doing the least. Should a country which caused .5% of the problem suffer for a country which caused 40% of the problem. Most of us would say, “Of course not.” Well, ladies and germs, if that’s the case then what are we doing about it?

Shouldn’t the U.S. be paying its percentage? What do you think? As I watch our world stumble through this, I’m reminded of Robert Fulghum’s book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” From a poster in the men’s restroom of a restaurant near my home, these bold, italic ‘excerpts’ from that come to mind:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.