Alberta Tar Sands

My hope is that Obama will not sign on to any joint statements that will help Harper ramp up tar sands production -- a process that accelerates global warming and denudes Canada's great boreal forest.

Nearly a third of the 800 species of birds in the United States are endangered, threatened or in decline. The decline of birds is a warning sign about the overall health of our environment -- or lack thereof.

If more people understood the conditions on the ground in Northern Alberta, the outcry against this dirtiest of fossil fuels would be a lot harder to ignore.

Now is the time to focus on a new approach to energy, one that includes smart grids and electric cars. Business as usual is just not going to work. A good crisis is a terrible thing to waste.