"The time for action is now," President Bush said from the Rose Garden as he announced that he was lifting a presidential moratorium on off-shore drilling. We are no doubt in an energy crisis and the time is now but why are we inclined to go backward instead of moving forward? Now is the time to listen to what's brewing on a grassroots level here in the USA and join world leaders in energy innovation to create jobs. There are many brilliant thinkers capable of creating jobs in and around the energy industry but the major players must stop denying their corporate responsibility.

This is the perfect time to promote innovation. It’s out there but, unfortunately, the innovators and industries that are trying desperately to support these new ideas are not connected to the right people. If they were, committees would have already been combing the marketplace for the most energy efficient and job-producing opportunities. Decisions about energy and our politically-controlled and slowly-diminishing oil reserves would have already been made in an effort to secure the energy supply for future generations, rather than hoarding and raping the land for short-term gain. Strong words I agree, but what is it going to take? Now more than ever, for the sake of our children and the environment in which they will live, our voices for change need to be heard. It is our responsibility to elect representatives who have track records that show out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to the environment.

We all need to get on board and vote for the strongest green candidate in this election. Wake up America, we are losing (perhaps have already lost) our footing as the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. We are at a critical tipping point so let’s turn it around and make our land a place of pride and of great opportunity for years to come!

Who would have thought that air-quality issues would ever be an issue at an Olympic venue? But in fact, there looms a huge smog problem front and center during this year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Right up to this week (and counting), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is wondering if Beijing, the mega city that boasts 17 million people (many of whom, having left their farms, commute into the city for a chance for better pay and a better life), will follow through on its commitment for improved city air quality in time for the games. (Now the IOC has concerns about this?)

The plan was to enforce time restrictions on smog-producing traffic and factory emissions for the two months leading up to the games. But this proposal, which promised uncertain results at best, appears to be an insufficient solution. That a more comprehensive and definitive plan was not in place prior to the IOC granting the 2008 Games to Beijing baffles me. Obviously, it's far too late now, as the final details are falling into place and many athletes have begun their trek to Beijing for pre-Olympic acclimation training. Knowing that these world-class athletes train and compete most of their lives, often with the goal of achieving elite-level status and the opportunity to represent their countries in the prestigious Olympic Games, you would think that choosing the most optimal location would be a priority for the IOC. In the current scenario, there are no guarantees, and it appears that there are no checks and balances, just a promise and a prayer.

This is truly a lost opportunity for Beijing to secure its place on the global map as a visible mega city leader of clean air quality, self-sustainable industry and innovative organic farming. What a shame the cost of not doing so is so high and affects so many.

Let the Games begin!

While on vacation recently, my daughter and I decided we needed some relief from the sun, so we snuck away for an afternoon film about a trash compactor. I was hesitant, though, wondering of all things, what Hollywood would come up with next. However I was completely charmed! Two hours later and despite the fact that the first half of the film is silent, I didn't want it to end. My heart was touched as I was thrown into the world of WALL-E, a futuristic glimpse at a passionate, dutiful, savior-of-the-last-green-thing-on-the-planet trash compactor who was the last one on earth left to clean up the humans' mess. To say the least, I was riveted!

An Eery Similarity

Hats off to Pixar! Kids and adults alike were thrown messages that were easily digested. I pondered and used my imagination without being beaten over the head to "get it." From the looks of it in that theatre, we were all drawn in and taken away to a world that, interestingly enough, was not too far away from where we live today: personal high-tech devices in overdrive; fewer and fewer personal connections giving way to TV watching; epidemic nutritional concerns fueled by fast food at every meal; robot-like powerful and omnipresent characters; an environment (or lack thereof) in peril; computers running the world; and so on. Eerily, the similarities between film and real life continued to match up.

WALL-E grabbed me with his commitment to save the last bit of green life at all costs, even if his motivation was for the love of his life. During a skirmish between good and evil and when given the choice to save himself or the green plant, WALL-E chose to save the planet for the sake of humanity. Such selflessness is endearing in a character that doesn’t even have a real heart. The environment, incredible waste, choices we make in the name of love, lack of mindfulness, and standing up for something meaningful are just a few of the general themes fueling this sweet yet sadly reflective tale.

Time to Reboot

I walked away with a refreshed commitment to the environment. I will remind myself to walk or bike ride instead of driving the car to the store, and to run back into the house for my reusable cloth grocery bags when I forget them. I want to make these small efforts and more before our environmental problems spin further out of control. I hate needing to learn a lesson more than once. Do we need a major catastrophe or apocalypse as in WALL-E to change our current behavior?

For further validation, ask a child about the film and really listen to the response. When we were leaving the theater, my 6-year-old said, "We've really got to do something, Mom!" "You are absolutely right!" I replied emphatically. Since then, I have noticed a piqued awareness on her part. She has dutifully reminded me to turn off my car when idling for under a minute, turn off the water immediately when washing dishes and brushing teeth, and to roll down the car windows instead of turning on the AC. She and her friends are thinking, so why can't we?  What is going to take to wake us up? 

Without question, WALL-E is a must-see for those who need a reboot in order to reset their innate green button!

PLUS: See what iVillagers are saying about the movie!