Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination.

Nobody with an IQ higher than emergency-room temperature could ever believe that 'death panels' would be appointed to nudge the elderly toward euthanasia. Yet for idle entertainment it's hard to beat Sarah Palin's ignorant nattering on the subject.

When my dad was badly weakened by the flu and my mom wanted to call an ambulance to take him to the emergency room he wouldn't go unless he could shave first and change into a nice shirt and a pair of slacks.

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

But on second thought after I decreed the state of emergency I came to the conclusion that that was impossible to achieve without bloodshed because the street protesters were full of anger and nearly out of control. This is why I thought we needed to find another way out.

I feel the 21st century is another new age. Not only can we collaborate again with nature but we have to. It's an emergency.