Every year NBC-TV runs a promotion called “Green Week” heightening awareness of environmental and energy saving issues through their television programming. Mr. Gore will appear in a scene on 30 with Kenneth the Page, who is in charge of helping the staff cut their carbon footprint by 5-percent.

Television stations usually don’t go to such lengths to create and promote awareness for a cause. Bringing the poster boy for cutting greenhouse gases, Al Gore works on the celebrity level, the humor level, the ratings level and the message level.

People need to be constantly reminded that not “Greed is good” but rather “Green is good” and NBC is doing a fine job of that this week.

But, do all eco celebrities have to ride bikes to Hollywood premiers and put out products like Begley’s Best natural cleaning products? And, just where does air travel fit in? Most eco celebrities are not afforded the luxury of taking the John Madden express to do their jobs, so how do they get from point A to point B?

Al Gore travels the Earth, warning people about global warming. Is he expected to take a bus to Europe? How about Jay Leno who has a hydrogen car and an ethanol car in his garage, which is powered by steam? Jay also has some not so environmentally friendly cars in his garage as well. Do we totally disregard these eco types because they have not decided to drop out of society and live in a cave?

How many high profile people can avoid air travel, drive only electric or hydrogen cars, have their homes powered exclusively by solar or wind power? How many of us regular people can say that we do this, too.

The people who usually point out the seeming hypocrisy of the eco celebrities in falling short of a totally green lifestyle are usually not environmentalists themselves. The critics are the meat-eating, cigarette-smoking, gross polluting, Hummer-driving, non-recyclers who like nothing better than the sling arrows and barbs at those who are trying to live a greener lifestyle.

These are the same critics who have long said that global warming does not exist or if it does, then man has nothing to do with it. My take on it is to do the best you can. Live a greener life today than you did yesterday and eventually this world will be a much greener and bluer place tomorrow.

Hayek feared asking Gore to join the board since the former Vice President may actually run for President this time around. Swatch is no stranger to alternative fuel vehicles as they have already developed the Smart Car with three different models: ForTwo, ForFour and Roadster.

Hayek wants to integrate fuel cells with the Smart Cars and go into production with them as early as 2010. George Clooney is expected to be the high profile spokesperson for the new Swatch cars in the U. S. market.

Like a happy little pig in mud, Al Gore is wallowing in the accolades recently that some say he so richly deserves. But, does any one man deserve all this? I think the answer is yes. Al Gore has shined a light on global warming unlike any man before him.

Scientists have been talking about global warming for years and debating whether or not man has been a major player in the cause of climate change. It has taken Al Gore, with his improved public speaking abilities and a traveling slide show to get the message before the public eye that nations and corporations need to cut back on carbon emissions now.

So, when I call Al Gore a Nobel bore, I do so with affection. I love you, man. Keep up the great work and keep the message before the public eye!