Some argue we should get coal, oil and gas out of the ground as quickly as possible, build more pipelines and make as much money as we can selling it here and abroad. Their priorities are the economy and meeting short-term energy needs so we can live the lives to which we've become accustomed.

Many scientists and economists also say putting a price on carbon through carbon taxes and/or cap-and-trade is necessary.

Despite the international scientific community's consensus on climate change, a small number of critics continue to deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. Widely known as climate change "skeptics" or "deniers," these individuals are generally not climate scientists and do not debate the science with the climate scientists.

The environment is so fundamental to our continued existence that it must transcend politics and become a central value of all members of society.

We now have access to so much information that we can find support for any prejudice or opinion.

I've always been more interested in organisms that can move on their own than in stationary plants. But when I canoe or hike along the edge of lakes or oceans and see trees that seem to be growing out of rock faces, I am blown away. How do they do it?

When I was a kid, being outside was the norm. Rain or shine, our parents would tell us to get out of the house.