As someone who supported and actually liked Al Gore in 2000 (and thought him genuine ever since "Earth in the Balance" was published in 1992), let those of us who care about the future of the planet and its people thank the former VP for pushing the Kyoto Protocol to completion in the late 1990s. The pact took effect today. Some nations ratified the treaty for noble reasons, some because it didn't force them to do anything, others because it forced others to bear sacrifices. In the long run, if succeeded by stronger and even more profitable measures, it may save the habitat on which humans, who sometimes deny it, depend. And Gore should get some of the credit. And Bush, who has never read it or understood it, should be held accountable when history renders its judgment.