A Nobel Cause

 During a three-month period, I have been fortunate enough to spend some remarkable time with three Nobel Prize Winners. Muhammad Yunus was awarded for his work in micro-credit. Gordon McBean, a University of Western Ontario scientist, was awarded for participating in the United Nations Panel on Climate Change. And I don't need to recount the reasons for awarding Al Gore. What was remarkable about spending time with these individuals was the full agreement they had reached on the climate change issue. Even Dr. Yunus, whose main claim to fame was his work in assisting with economics in Asia, spent time explaining the importance of addressing climate change during an enlightening intimate dinner in a Toronto restaurant recently. Only one was a Canadian (McBean), but all agreed that this country needed to do more in displaying world leadership on this issue.It is one of the privileges of being in public life that an inconsequential politician like myself can rub shoulders with world leaders of such immense capacity. What you don't expect is just how "human" they are. They speak of their own struggles, inner faith, worries for the future and love for family. And yet they jointly share in the overarching burden of our time - climate change.We are repeatedly informed by polling that Canadians put favor of scientists far above those of politicians or journalists. But when it comes to our performance as elected officials or as writers on the Canadian scene, we continue to flounder while individuals such as these move ahead with a clear sense of determination and inherent dignity.But it does leave me with a question, two really. If Canadians are far more willing to trust scientists and Nobel winners, why is it that those of us in politics or journalism fail to take the action we should to restore Canadian confidence in our respective fields by providing leadership on this issue? The second question is even more crucial.  If average citizens indeed do trust their scientists, are they then willing to transform that trust into electoral decision making. Agreement on climate change is not 100%.  But as so many scientists and award winners have stated in the last few months, enough empirical evidence now exists to tell us that it is time to act. On this the vast majority of scientists agree.Will the public take them at their word and turn it into a citizen movement for change? The upcoming months might tell the story.