2007 Honda Accord hybrid

The U.S. Department of Defence last year released a satellite image of the Korean peninsula at night. The picture shows South Korea ablaze with light, a milky way radiating from the heart of its capital city, Seoul.

North Korea, on the other hand, sits in utter darkness, aside from a dim glow around Pyongyang. Whatever else you can say about North Korea's Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il is doing more to prevent global warming than any other person on Earth.

If we must reduce the production of greenhouse gases to prevent climate change – and the scientific consensus is that we must – we've yet to see much of a sense of urgency about it.

Opinion polls suggest Canadians attach considerable importance to the problem of global warming, yet on an individual level, few of us have adjusted our behaviour to reduce carbon emissions.

What's it going to take? An apocalyptic shift in the weather and draconian government action? Or maybe, just maybe, an intelligent combination of technology and reasoned judgment.

If consumers are to be seduced into righteous behaviour, consider the example of the Honda Accord Hybrid.

Here's a fuel-saving wonder that makes more horsepower than a standard Accord while preserving a sense of luxurious sophistication. If this is all it takes to save the world, sign me up.

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