An excerpt from my comment to Steve's blog:

In response to his blog entry "Eco Craziness.....":

"There are a cohort of politicians and eco-activists who want nothing else than to make Americans feel uber guilty about our lifestyle. The Left is really good at it...in fact they're quite adept at making men feel guilty about being men, and white people feel guilty about being white, the blue-collar class feel guilty about having money, etc. etc. And so we have a growing demographic of folks who do as they're told with the selling point being that they feel "good" about saving the planet in the process.

YES, it's true that Americans have a horrid track record re. wasteful policies/lifestyles as it relates to all forms of limited resources.
YES, we've had entire industries throughout our history that operated with a philosophy that prioritized profit over environment.
YES, we have politicians, legislators, government, and policies that throughout our history succumb, at times willingly, to the practice of de-regulation; an attitude of expansion and growth at the expense of our natural resources and clean environment.

But it can also be said that Americans are, incrementally but steadily, moving toward change; a change in leadership that values conservation, a change in policy that regulate industry and pollution, a change in our daily lifestyle that reflects the morality in caring for our environment and a stewardship of resources of every kind.

However, our vision is soo utterly near-sighted, and speaks to the narcissism of most Americans. As the largest and oldest industrialized nation on the planet, we certainly still have problems related to the amount of trash we produce, the amount of food we eat, the amount of fuel we consume, the amount of resources we waste, the amount of pollution we cause. But here's the gist: we're coming around to making changes.

Just one example; for 2 consecutive years, we've been using less fuel..."but how come oil prices are going up!?". The answer is that we aren't the only ones on the frickin planet! Somehow we soo love to blame ourselves for everything, we've come to think we're the only ones who are at fault AND have something to lose. We can't even mention the rest of the world and how emerging nations are rapidly increasing and far outpacing the US in the amount of fuel they burn, the amount of resources they use, the amount of pollution they spew, etc.etc.

It could be said that each nation/culture must undergo the same evolution ALL industrialized countries undergo...and through this deal with all the pitfalls associated with this process that OUR country have had to deal with: pollution, lack of regard for conservation, no-checks on expanding industry, and pollution. Unfortunately, with time as a factor, we don't have the luxury nor does our environment have the patience to see each nation through this evolution.

To tell you the truth, I'm actually glad to see corporations making a buck AND going green. It certainly beats the HELL out of making a buck AND poisoning our rivers and lakes with acid rain. As the Supertechnician in Germany put it; "there are BILLIONS to be made by going green. The resistance is related to our industries and our politicians who are ill-positioned to take economic advantage." But Americans know how to make a buck (there's that cliche again), and you can see our economy moving in a different direction, one that can turn a profit while being good to our planet.

I happen to think the opposite relative to the extreme left's world view...I happen to think many Americans are quite mindful about waste, pollutions, resources, et.al. My wife and I certainly are and go to extreme lengths to make sure that we care for our planet. And given the opportunity, most Americans, if given good choices will choose green or eco-friendly alternatives if the cost differential is equivalent, and certainly will if the cost is favorable to their pocketbooks. We simply need better choices, and that's where leadership in politics and industry come into play."