Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his effort to end global warming. And the believers celebrated. It is a political award. My friend John L sent me an email saying:
“Also, Gore won the Peace Prize. Did you ever see his movie? I’ll lend it to you when you return.”

I replied: “Yasser Arafat also won the Nobel Peace Prize. I have seen Gore’s movie and he didn’t convince me that global warming is one of the top five issues facing the world.”

John called me on my top five claim and asked me: “What are the top five?”

I had to think about it but came up with this list: “Everybody’s lists will vary but mine would include:
Health in Africa
Improving equality of opportunity in the USA and the world
Womens right in the Muslim world
Ending ethnic violence in Darfur, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Burma and other places
Stablizing the worlds population
Building and encouraging Democratic Capitalism in the world
Improving meritocracies and discouraging nepotism and cronism
Finding sources of energy to replace fossil fuels
Allowing responsible people freedom of movement

Thats nine choose five.

Solutions to these issues can in the short run have a dramatic effect on peoples lives. Global Warming is the issue d’jour but it doesn’t make my top five list because any attempt we make to solve it will have an effect, if it does, three or four generations from now. The issues I think are important can effect the lives of our children”

Thanks John you made me think.