Former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore returned to TED in 2008 with an updated slideshow to warn us of the accelerating rate of climate change and to challenge us to act.

It seemed appropriate to focus on global warming this time around thanks to the success of Earth Hour last Saturday and the same day announcement by the White House of a global warming summit to be held next month.

Perhaps, just perhaps, there will finally be some progress.

Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research drove out to Al Gore’s mansion during Earth Hour Saturday night and claims that the former vice president ignored the event. According to Mr. Johnson, some of the house lights were left on, as were flood lights for the trees, and a light for the house number. Apparently there are photographs…

Really? Are these the ONLY pictures you have? You went out into the dark of night Mr. Johnson, hoping to discredit that villainous liberal/Hollywood elitist Al Gore and expose his global warming con, and this was the best you could do? Two pictures of a lit house number? Which in many communities is required to be visible at night so that emergency vehicles can locate the home in case of… you guessed it… an emergency? And the third picture? I don’t even know what that is!

Do you know how to operate a camera Mr. Johnson? Did you not know how to get the whole house in view? Give me a break. You are as big of a fraud as you claim Al Gore to be. Thanks to your shoddy camera work, how can I conclude otherwise?

Of course all the right-wing sites are aflutter at the apparent hypocrisy of Al Gore ignoring Earth Hour even as he responded through his spokesperson…

“The Gores honored Earth Hour by shutting off the lights at their residence. The heating and air conditioning were turned off as well. But more importantly, the Gores live in a Gold LEED certified home, powered by geothermal power. They have undergone renovations to put solar panels on the roof and participate in all of the renewable power programs offered by their local utility. They aren’t perfect, no family is, but they do their best, year-round to try to make a difference at home and across the country to make a difference on the climate crisis.”

Move along folks. This is just another manufactured controversy by a wingnut conservative consumed by partisan politics, nothing more. Go away Mr. Johnson, and please, learn how to use a camera next time… okay?

Here in the U.S. the time is almost upon us! Please show your support for the Earth by switching off your lights (and any other electronics you can live without) from 8:30 to 9:30 this evening, and send a message to our leaders that we need to act now against climate change.

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney Australia where 2.7 million switched off their lights. The following year the movement had gone global and an estimated 50 million people participated in 35 countries and over 370 cities.

Please join us. We can do better. We have to.

John Francis walked and sailed the globe for 17 years delivering a message of environmental respect and responsibility, all without speaking a single word.