Some politicians are Teflon-coated – others are magnets. Unfortunately for Gordon Brown he's a magnet, a veritable merde magnet. When the doggy doo of doom is steaming on the pavement of life, Mr. Brown's boots make a beeline for it. When the seagull of scandal swoops through the sky, Gordon is sure to get slimed.

 

You can't hunker in your bunker when you're a magnet.
Part of the problem is psychological – you have to believe you're up to the job. During my career as a teenage shortstop, I suffered a crisis of confidence one season. My coach told me I must actively wish for every ball to come my way, instead of dreading it. Otherwise, you move backwards (or close your eyes) and the ball flies past (or through your legs – the ultimate humiliation). 

Yesterday Gordon stopped hiding and bravely stepped up to the plate (finally this metaphor is almost relevant in a UK media outlet!), taking a real stand in warning about global warming. He says Copenhagen climate talks are the 'last chance'. "We cannot compromise with the catastrophe of unchecked climate change," he warned a group of environment ministers in London. The government of the Maldives would support that claim. Its leaders highlighted the real and present danger climate change poses to their country by staging an underwater cabinet meeting.

 

In a stroke of good timing (not usually Gordon's strong suit), it's also Energy Saving Week. Now that there's a nip in the air, it's up to all of us to watch the thermostat and keep our energy levels down. Let me rephrase that: keep your personal energy level up, but your electricity and gas usage down. And yes, I do mean fewer car journeys (perhaps it's time to take another look at car clubs, which I highly recommend!). You could also take a closer look at my Website of the Week this week, the Energy Saving Trust's Climate Change Academies (and no, snarky one, it's not where you learn how to make climate change happen even faster.)   Share