Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 12. During the hearing it seemed the panel's main goal was to hear what Carter had to say about the current climate crisis and how it affects United States foreign relations.

Climate change is often discussed as a global problem. We constantly hear catch-phrase warnings such as 'melting ice caps,' 'rising sea levels,' 'desertification,' and 'greenhouse gases.' What we don't often hear about are the real problems pollution and climate change are creating today in small communities across the globe.

Every generation has its cross to bear. Those born at the turn of the 20th century survived two world wars. Baby boomers practiced hiding under their school desks in case of a nuclear attack during the peak of the Cold War. While I consider bad hairstyles and horrendous wardrobes the downfall of the 80s, most would probably point to the emerging popularity and complexity of technological devices. Our current generation has two vital challenges that now lay before us: ending the proliferation of nuclear weapons and stopping global warming.

As of this writing, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change talks in Bali have not yet produced a final agreement. That's ok. The tectonic shift in international climate politics has already occurred.