Oprah spent the better part of an hour talking about global warming last week on her television show. "The deadly hurricanes were my wake up call," she said. "I feel like we're strangling the earth and the earth is doing exactly what all living entities do when they are being strangled -- it's fighting back."
We've all seen what Oprah can do for book sales -- now we're about to find out what she can do for light bulbs. Not your run-of-the mill light bulbs, mind you -- but compact fluorescent bulbs that use far less energy and thus help reduce carbon emissions. In fact, if every household in the country exchanged five regular light bulbs for five compact fluorescents, it would be the carbon-reducing equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road for an entire year! During the show, Oprah challenged her audience to make the five light bulb switch -- and they usually don't disappoint her. Note to light bulb manufacturers: get ready for a run on compact fluorescents.
Oprah's look at global warming was clear, concise, powerful, and important. And by bringing this crucial issue to her sizable audience, she offered a stirring example of true leadership -- and the power of one.