Eco-bloggers multiplying like bunnies; bamboo (the new eco-correct fiber) in nearly everything money can buy; Leo DiCaprio succeeding Al Gore as this year's big screen prophet of global warming. With all this latest attention to green, you'd be forgiven for thinking that environmental concerns have finally seeped into the consciousness of everyday America.

I'm not so sure.

Environmental issues, particularly global warming, might be showing up in spheres as seemingly unlikely as corporate boardrooms and shareholder meetings, and the Evangelical Christian movement. But they haven't been much in evidence at this year's umpty-ten presidential candidate forums and debates. Historically, environmental issues are non-starters in presidential campaign politics, falling well below issues like the economy and national security in voter's concerns. So if the candidates are not talking about climate change now, over a year before the election, it's unlikely to become a central issue next year when the campaign is underway in earnest.