The internet is a marvelous invention especially for anyone wanting to know what is going on beyond the standard "News" fare propagated by television and the spun "News" deployed by governments. Sometimes it takes more that a little work to bore down into web sites to obtain that infomorsel you are searching for while other times it simply comes your way.

I personally subscribe to 27 web newsletters currently from diverse organizations. On Mondays, I inevitably receive a "Monday Memo" from John Gibson of Earth Charter Indiana that is often personal and usually informative. The last "Monday Memo" contained a verbatim Los Angeles Times article entitled "Civilization's Last Chance" written by Bill McKibben, author of the currently popular book; "Deep Economy." Here is a quote at the center of Bill's piece: "A few weeks ago, our foremost climatologist, NASA's Jim Hansen, submitted a paper to Science magazine with several co-authors. The abstract attached to it argued -- and I have never read stronger language in a scientific paper -- "if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm." Hansen cites six irreversible tipping points -- massive sea level rise and huge changes in rainfall patterns, among them -- that we'll pass if we don't get back down to 350 soon; and the first of them, judging by last summer's insane melt of Arctic ice, may already be behind us. . . This is the defining moment." You may appreciate that those of us who have corroborated this idea through other sources and feel that, to varying degrees, Bill and Jim are on to something important, are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and frustration. I have friends who are convinced that Climate Change is a total fabrication and are as intractable about their opinion as those who propose that Creationism is Science.

Recently, I also received the latest news from Environmental Law & Policy Center a Midwest environmental advocacy organization working to promote clean energy, sound transportation, wild and natural places, and sustainable business. Here are a couple of headlines:

Advisory groups appointed by Governors Granholm and Doyle are now formulating recommendations on how Michigan and Wisconsin should reduce global warming pollution in the years ahead. In a further echoing of national frustrations at the lack of federal action on global warming, the governors this week signed separate agreements with the United Kingdom to further accelerate the development of solutions to our global warming problems." Where is our man Mitch at this Defining Moment?

Last year, the hybrid Prius became the 10th best-selling car in the United States, joining the top ten for the first time. So far this year, as gas prices have soared, Americans have pushed the Prius up to #8. Both availability and price are being affected by the increasing demand, whose fuel efficiency is #1 in the nation. And with the combustion of gasoline producing almost 20 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution per gallon, the Prius also provides great global warming benefits." The Prius also enjoys the greatest customer satisfaction rating of any automobile in history while the Hummer, the worst. Is there a lesson here?

Toyota Prius $21,100

EPA estimated MPG 45 city, 48 highway.

EPA estimated MPG 21 city, 22 highway.

Tahoe Hybrid (limited availability) $53,500

Over ten years ago, Toyota made the decision to develop the Prius, employing a broader view and greater understanding of the realities of the world while American auto manufacturers continued to pander to the whims of the fickle marketplace. It is apparent to many of us that Toyota made the right decision in that in the last decade, Toyota has gained the moral high ground, garnered the respect of the world, and greatly improved its business. Where is Ford and Chevy at this Defining Moment?