THanks for noticing- We Americans at the grassroots level ar VERY concerned, but we don't own the oil companies. Yes we drive far too much here in the vast west- Colorado is 3 times the size of the UK. We little people are pushing all we can now for renewable energy, battling a sluggish government. We point to the UK and Scandinavia and say Look! We need to follow their lead- it''s like holding a dog's head so they will see something. Once in a while they do.

LAurence Budd, Fort Collins, USA/colorado

I drive a short 50 miles a day round-trip to and from work in a high-performance Japanese made car. I pay USD 3.20 for petrol, it's cheap and I'm glad to do it. My kids are in private (public in the UK) school. I don't go to church, I consider religion a superstitious anachronism, and I vote Republican. My professional background is in science and engineering, and I lead a comfortable life. So if any politician legislates anything based upon unscientific and unproven Global Warming "research" which causes a rise in my cost of living, they will find themselves out of office come the next election cycle. I will certainly donate to any opposition candidate who doesn't preach UN / Greenpeace / Euro greenhouse gargbage.

Thomas, Atlanta, GA, USA

Mark makes good points, right up to the one where he needs an SUV. I own a 12-year-old minivan & have watched as the manufacturer has made its vans - not more accommodating - but increasingly heavy & inefficient. After 12 years & 350 000 mi. of trekking between Boston and Buffalo I am still getting 25 mi/gal. city, better than the newer cars of this size can do. I can take 3 bass drums, 3 drummers, a fifer, tents & camping equipment for a weekend from Albany to the Connecticut shore & back on 15 gal. & have enough left to do the commute for a couple of days. Forget the overgrown SUVs & monstrous pickup trucks. What we really need here is to go back to the frumpy but comparatively lightweight minivan & station wagon.

Linda, near Albany NY, US

Glutonous is a useful word indeed in this context. I live in Phoenix and every addvertisement segment on tv, has one for fast food and one for a big truck. There is a link here. Our whole society is built on consumption, the average American watches 8 hours of adverts a day telling the m to eat more and buy more in order to be happy. Do we Americans really believe like Mark seems to do, that just becasue we have appear to need more stuff, (do we?), that we deserve bigger cars and a greater share of global destruction?

John, Phoenix, AZ

How can anyone have the gall to questions whether an SUV is necessary?! OR COURSE IT'S NECESSARY. If you have three children who all have school, soccer schedules, friend etc, then you want your family in the BIGGEST, SAFEST automobile on the road; something which would CRUSH any other auto in any kind of accident. SUV have nothing to do with status, convenience, etc. They are safe, necessary and affordable to operate. In the US where daily travel distances are several times those travelled in Europe, you want make sure to err on the side of caution. To hell with anyone who doesn't understand that.

Thomas, Atlanta, GA, USA

Mark from Washington DC, unfortunately, engages in the same me first thought process that often plagues the US. He says how dare I attack his opinion. Mark, unfortunately your opinion has adverse affects on all of our futures.

Mark is clearly unwilling to make a small personal sacrifice by giving up his SUV for the betterment of mother Earth. I agree that SUVs are nice and do provide extra space. But are the necessary? Absolutely not. If European countries and other industrialized nations are able to survive with smaller vehicles, why can't Americans? We, as concerned Americans, should make concessions. SUVs merely fill our gluttonous need to have all conveniences available. Clearly, we can all do better, especially Americans.

Gene, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Finally, a European who at least will listen and try to understand our position. It's never been about not wanting to do something. The question is how and at what cost. Europeans can get away with one family fitting into a small wagon. I, however, own a sport utility vehicle simply because of the space. I need room for my family, dog, clothes and supplies for a trip for a week that's the distance of 2000 miles. We don't have your robust train system simply b/c it's too costly and too vast a territory. I need the space and flexibility that a large vehicle provides. I'm willing to pay for it but don't you dare attack my decision, way of life or my morals.

Mark, washington d.c., usa