The goal of the protest was to remind all of the world leaders gathered in Copenhagen that failure to act will have serious consequences, i.e. famine, death, war and pestilence.

Greenpeace says that we need to keep the global temperature increase under 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or else our food supplies will fail, there will be major outbreaks of diseases, the crazy weather -- heat waves and floods! -- will get worse, and there will be huge population migrations which will lead to conflict.

According to Greenpeace, "an estimated 300,000 people are already dying due to climate change every year," and that death toll will rise unless governments -- not just individuals composting and recycling their Smartwater bottles -- take big action, and darn fast.

So in other words, the actions of our elected officials will either save the world, or bring on complete destruction. And they're on a deadline.

See? Scary.

Greenpeace always has another protest on the schedule, and I'm sure they'll bring the big banners and drama next time. But maybe it was a good thing, to see that the organization is capable of a bit of nuance. In fact, I think it lends a certain credibility. That's what caught my attention this week, amidst all of the other dramatic, neon-bright protests.

Cheers to the quiet, dignified Greenpeace "World is Ending, On Horses" demonstration. Nice work!