Obama was in London yesterday and made the obligatory visit to the English patient otherwise known as  occupant of No 10 Downing street.

From then after a lunch meeting and a short press speech, he went for a walk nearby and behind the residence of Gordon Brown; on the Horseguards parade grounds near St James park, where I greeted him. He was keen to engage in a serious and secure manner as the US presidential contenders only do when abroad in the safety of Merry Old….  and felt his smooth hand and confident handshake but was most impressed by his manner of friendly speech.  After greeting him, in the space of slow seconds…I asked him a question and he answered truthfully and relaxed. I felt that the only advise I needed to impart was: ‘When the time comes, Please Govern Diligently’.

And so went my only encounter so far with the man who will be the next president of the US and who represents the hopes of a new generation of world citizens and Americans alike.  But most importantly he represents the hopes of an Environmental generation and a planet citizenry pinning their hopes on him pulling the US to the bargaining table and the Kyoto agreements. But most importantly clearly showing the leadership required to move slowly away from the fossil fuel economy to one for the advancement of renewable resources. This is my hope for Obama and the US. This is my hope for the world. And maybe that He is enlightened and strong enough to make the Iraq war the last fossil fuel-fuelled war of our generation.

PS: By contrast Gordon Brown’s hand was clammy and lifeless in greeting. After the walk Obama said: “We took a walk out back and I was hoping to keep going all the way through the park, but they (our respective secret service security details) pulled us back.”  I

I sincerely hope that when he governs Diligently the security detail won’t hold him back from going all the way into the park where the all the great plant life resides…

I have a hope that the security services, the fossil fuel mongers and the military industrial complex won’t pull back this president again from going all the way into the Green Park of Environmental revolution needed to strengthen the US and make the world a really cooler place.