"We worry about the seemingly ever-increasing number of natural catastrophes. Yet this is mainly a consequence of CNN - we see many more, but the number is roughly constant, and we manage to deal much better with them over time. Globally, the death rate from catastrophes has dropped about fifty-fold over the past century."

"Money spent on carbon cuts is money we can't use for effective investments in food aid, micronutrients, HIV/AIDS prevention, health and education infrastructure, and clean water and sanitation."

"If we invest in researching and developing energy technology, we'll do some real good in the long run, rather than just making ourselves feel good today. But climate change is not the only challenge of the 21st century, and for many other global problems we have low-cost, durable solutions."

"I tentatively believe in a god. I was brought up in a fairly religious home. I think the world is compatible with reincarnation, karma, all that stuff."

"There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California."

"It's the price of success: people start to think you're omnipotent."

"Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself."

"The reason most of the children are having problems in any inner-city neighborhood is because they don't see enough positive role models in their own environment."