Paris, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015.  This could be the day that marked the beginning of a new future for the inhabitants of planet Earth.  On this date, representatives from 196 nations had a meeting of minds, and they agreed that this place we call home is worth saving.

How great is that?

Of all the turning points in our history, few have centered on the good that we can do.  Ours is a history in which we have bombed, killed, enslaved, and we have crushed each other in a hundred other ways.  At each juncture, and with so much at stake, we have nevertheless acted continually against our own interests, against Nature, and against the pleadings of our better angels.  It is almost as if we automatically select the pathway to oblivion as our inevitable destiny. 

But not this time.  We finally took the findings and the counsel of 2,500 scientists as our best hope for the future.  Oh, the oil companies, the polluters, and those who profit from the status quo will still put up formidable barriers in their efforts to suck up all the profits they can.  But this time they have met the enemy, and they is them.

We are a long way from our new destination.  It will take a lot of work, and more sacrifices.  But this time, we have all spoken, not merely for ourselves, but for our children, and their children.  Let us pause in tribute to the courage of the Paris participants.  And then let’s make their resolution a reality.