In 1957, while I was living in the U.S., the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1. American rockets were failing on the launch pad, and Americans realized that to catch up to the U.S.S.R., they had to give money to universities and scientists. Even though I was a Canadian, they gave me money to get my PhD. There were jobs galore, but I still preferred to live in Canada. I came home only to be told that my first grant for $4,200 was bigger than usual because I had a year of postdoctoral studies. But my counterparts in the U.S. were getting grants of $60,000 to $80,000, and I was ambitious. So I started looking for jobs back in the U.S. To my amazement, Americans gave me a big grant that enabled me to remain in Canada!

My love of Americans was sorely tested during the long years of presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and the dark times of George W. Bush, as I saw Americans embrace neoconservative values that were the antithesis of the America I knew and loved.
I have just come back from a conference of green business in California. I was amazed at the enthusiastic reception to my talk. Not only that, former California governor Jerry Brown gave a rip-snorting call for a green revolution that had me on my feet cheering. He was more radical than anyone I've heard in Canada. Then Al Gore came out and had us weeping with hope for a new America. Aaah, Americans. Ya gotta luv 'em.