Just wanted to add my two cents about some really terrific things I've seen in Europe over the past 11 days.

In hotels in Romania:
Motion detection lighting in hallways -- in other words...not burning lights for the sake of burning lights

In towns in Germany/Austria:
Entire towns running almost exclusively on solar power

Recycling bins all over the cities

The airport in Cologne, Germany is Carbon Neutral -- natural lighting, solar powered etc.

It was interesting to see the larger committment to the cause -- there were more things but those are the ones I remember the most.

from Sarahtg at 2008-08-27 11:29:12

I've really noticed that commitment in Europe as well and was inspired by it. I'm curious how they have paid for it all, whether through taxes or the private sector.

We could be doing so much more in North America, with zero real cost to citizens, but politicians aren't pushed to do it. In the news recently were a lot of people calling for a new "Apollo project" for sustainable technology and I wish Obama would sign onto it. That would be a huge win for the US in the long term. Right now the US is losing that technology race (and hence profits) to other countries. If the US became dominant in it, that sector could drive the economy for decades.

from NeilT at 2008-08-27 13:47:41