Having just returned from a visit to the USA, I have to report that our American cousins are becoming really focussed on environmental matters. Admittedly the high cost of oil (their gas/petrol is up to $4 a (American) gallon!) is a major factor here but many drive 4 x 4’s with a high fuel consumption (15 to 20 miles per gallon) so their costs are often as high as our own. They drive further in order to get anywhere and most vehicles have their air-con going at full blast.
However, the tide is turning, gas/petrol consumption is going down as Americans find excuses not to travel, city/town and community councils are instigating recycling programmes and a number of industrial sites that previously belched smoke and CO2 into the atmosphere have closed down partly due to the credit crunch and poor economy. Perhaps more importantly and with a presidential election looming, voters are asking their representatives to push for more action on the environment. We shall see.
