Yes, I am a proud Canadian. Sidney Crosby and his teammates just won Canada our 14th Winter Olympics gold medal - a record for most gold medals in the Winter Games by any country ever. Not bad for a country with only 32 million people and lots of snow and ice!

And of that snow and ice?

As was evident early in the games, the planet is warming, Vancouver was the warmest city to ever host the games. Even Whistler was balmy. Even my backyard. We used to build a backyard rink - not so in the last three years - it has been to warm. This year it would have been a backyard slushfest.

So where is the hope in this note? From medals to a slushy backyard?

If Canada can do what we did in these games, then I am hopeful that the global community can do what has to be done for this planet and humanity. Getting there will be no different, but the way in which we reflect on success will be much different.

What do I mean?

We, as spectators, enjoy the MOMENT of the overtime goal, the MOMENT of a skier crosses the finish line or the MOMENT the last curling stone is thrown. What we do not see as spectators is the thousands of hours those athletes spend honing their skills, of perfecting their game and overcoming injuries and challenges along the way. Years of preparation are invested for one moment in time - the moment of victory.

That is where doing right for the planet differs from 'The Games'. For every slap shot or every curling stone thrown there one light bulb turned off and piece of litter picked up. But the reality is that we will never collectively pause as humanes and congratulate each other on saving the planet.

Sure, we may reduce our collective carbon footprint by 80% in the next 40 years, but will be gather as eight or nine billion people and celebrate our success? Probably not, but you know what? I hope so.

Stranger things have happened, like Canadian cleaning up on gold medals. Not bad, eh?