This just shows the ignorant and antiquated state of the USA. The US has an opportunity to lead the world into a healthy future, but we don't really feel the need to, especially if it will cost more money up front.

Besides,"if it aint broke, don't fix it." To many, the US and the world for that matter "aint broke".

Ready to make changes? ...Set...GO!

How about the idea of lifting everyones income to a level to where they won't need to sacrifice to save the planet? With the spread of conservatism and capitalism and new technology this would be possible.

I have never understood how raising peoples status in life, letting them acheive and accomplish their dreams and goals and attain a better lifestyle can be so negative for the environment.

We all need places to live, work and play. This requires energy. But all we hear is we are destroying the plannet through our wasteful lifestyles. Which country has best economic system to impact the environment in a postive way? The US! There are people that are not choosing to do this, so one of our resposibility is to educate not indoctrinate! Lets hear a positive message!

Our system of economics is free enterprise. If we find a need in the market place, we can create a business and fulfil that need.

What better way to lift peoples lifestyle and create businesses that bennifit the environment. Don't wait for someone else in government to do something about it, do it yourself NOW by using American system of economics, the best in the world!

Governments are notoriously wasteful, take too long to get things done, they are corrupt, and make laws that limit freedom, and slow down the free enterprise system.

Why are we so willing to give up our freedom? I think it is because we are lazy, we want to THINK that we are doing something for the evironment when in our own lives we leave lights on, the computer on, we let water run while we brush our teeth, we don't use low flow shower heads, florescent bulbs, wash dishes by hand and not use the dishwasher, buy a motor scooter and take it to work instead of the car, etc.

Oh I agree with Al Gore or Hillary Clinton but I am not willing by CHOICE to giv up my SUV 2 days a week and drive a scooter to work?

I don't call this sacrifice, I just call it thinking ahead and saving money and being CONSERVATIVE!

we can't ignor what is real threat to world, and
we are very much agreed with the role of U S A,
for this world problem every country, even every
individual must take initiatives ang measuears to
save the planet, from global warming.

This is my first comment, but I do have to say that I think that many people underestimate the willingness of Americans to do what must be done - I don't think it's that we're unwilling so much as it is that we don't know what steps to take. So many people talk about this working and that working, but America is more than her fertile plains states, more than her rainy northwest, and so even if we find a site that has good ideas, sometimes we don't know how (or actually can't afford) to implement some of the ideas. We are not all Climatologists, nor are we all Farmers, and I know we are most certainly not getting consistent information in the news.

But Americans came together during WW2 to have Victory Gardens and to save cans and bottles, because they were given information from the government, they were given the opportunity for seeds that were cheap (and grew in their areas), and they were given ideas to help out. The children were involved by learning in school, and posters were up everywhere reminding us of why we were making the sacrifices.

And it is not that we're lazy - but I think that while the rest of the world acknowledges that global climate change is a problem, America is only seeing Al Gore and movie stars, and so many people think that it's a "kook thing" - only worrisome for the "new age hippy", and not really applicable to the average person. Strides are being made on this front, but I think that the average citizen does not have enough incentive to make the changes because they are still being told that the problems are "normal". Get the "everyday" American citizens involved (not just the ones that have access to internet and all the information to look up and read), and you will see that Americans will make change too. Yeah, you'll still have those few that feel that they can continue on oblivious, but if you make it affordable to the single mom working 2 jobs for her kids with no access to health care in the desert of the Southwest, applicable to the high-rise banker working in the farming Midwest, and available in the schools even through the kids, people will make change.

Neil:
I suspect you were joking... But for those who didn't get it: There are over 6 Billion of us. If we ALL had smart cars, recycled, and enjoyed organic food grown within 10 miles of our 700 square foot homes, there would be NO wilderness left, climate change would be worse than it is, and we would be out of many resources. Westerners would have already given up travel, diverse foods, and personal space to get that levelo development globally.

Hopefully Neils sarcasm will make people realize that these sacrifices are neccessary to get education, healthcare, & standard of living high enough that people stop having 2 or more children per couple. When we are down to 2 or 3 billion, I hope we can start developing for life, rather than survival.

For now, it's either sacrifice or mutual destruction. Little signs like this give me hope that we've grown to the point where humanity miht significantly pick the intelligent path.