Not sure what's so funny. Are we the largest consumers? Yes. Why is that, do you suppose? Is it because we're greedy and wasteful, or is it because our country was industrialized long before the emerging industrial powers? Maybe it's because we're among the farthest removed from the 3rd world.

We'll always use more energy than the average European due to the distances between places in the US vs your average European postage stamp country. On the other hand, you see a lot of "going green" in this country, and the government is mandating MPG standards and emissions standards on cars sold here. Further, emmissions are regulated at power plants, we've cleaned up rivers and waterways dramatically in the past 30 years...

You can't tell me these emerging nations are doing this, nor will it be their focus anytime in the next 20-30 years as growth outpaces the collective conscience.

Yasha's beloved Russia is another example. A country side full of garbage. Areas abandoned due to high levels of toxicity. I haven't been there. I know several who have and I've read a lot about it too. Lake Baykal (sp?) - A beautiful place; the world's deepst lake that contains something like 1/5 of the world's fresh water. The shoreline is nothing but trash and vodka bottles.

Brazil continues to deforest the Amazon.

Africa is almost completely devoid of rain forests now, as is Madagascar. It's also home to some of the most deplorable living conditions anywhere on the planet due to it's idiotic military leadership in many of its countries.

India's rivers are full of feces.

So I stand by my comments.