Greenpeace - Making Waves: What makes Europe greener than the US?

Did you know that the average American produces three times the amount of CO2 emissions as a person in France? In this article from Yale Environment 360, a US journalist now living in Europe gives her insights in to why Europe is greener than the US.

From taking trains over taxis, and using a drying rack instead of a dryer, these are her observations. What do you think, agree or disagree?

"Europe, particularly northern Europe, is far more environmentally conscious than the United States,"she writes, "despite Americans' sincere and passionate resolution to be green."

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, in 2006, per capita CO2 emissions in the U.S. were 19.78 tons, compared to 9.6 tons in the U.K., 8.05 tons in Italy, and 6.6 tons in France.

So why have Americans made so little headway on an issue that so many of us feel so strongly about? she asks.

Answering her own question, she states the following reasons:

- Social Pressure:

"There is a fair bit of social pressure to behave in an environmentally responsible manner in places like Sweden, where such behavior is now simply part of the social contract, like stopping at a stop sign or standing in line to buy a ticket. But more important, perhaps, Europe is constructed in a way that it's pretty easy to live green."

"In Europe it is far easier to channel your good intentions into action. And you feel far worse if you don't. If nearly everyone is carrying a plastic bag (as in New York City) you don't feel so bad. But if no one does (as in Dublin) you feel pretty irresponsible."

Culture:

"Yes, we Americans love our national parks. But we live in a country with big houses. Big cars. Big commutes. Central Air. Big fridges and separate freezers. Clothes dryers. Disposable razors."

"But even as an American, if you go live in a nice apartment in Rome, as I did a few years back, your carbon footprint effortlessly plummets. It's not that the Italians care more about the environment; I'd say they don't. But the normal Italian poshy apartment in Rome doesn't have a clothes dryer or an air conditioner or microwave or limitless hot water. The heat doesn't turn on each fall until you've spent a couple of chilly weeks living in sweaters. The fridge is tiny. The average car is small. The Fiat 500 gets twice as much gas mileage as any hybrid SUV. And it's not considered suffering. It's living the dolce vita."

Space:

"In many European countries, space has always been something of a premium, forcing Europeans early on to live with greater awareness of humans' negative effects on the planet. In small countries like the Netherlands, it's hard to put garbage in distant landfills because you tend to run into another city. In the U.S., open space is abundant and often regarded as something to be developed. In Europe you cohabit with it."

History:

"Also, in Europe, the construction of most cities preceded the invention of cars. The centuries-old streets in London or Barcelona or Rome simply can't accommodate much traffic — it's really a pain, but you learn to live with it. In contrast, most American cities, think Atlanta and Dallas, were designed for people with wheels."

Conclusion:

"I believe most people are pretty adaptable and that some of the necessary shifts in lifestyle are about changing habits, not giving up comfort or convenience. Though I initially railed about the hassle of living without a dryer or air conditioning in Rome, I now enjoy the ritual of putting laundry on the line, expect to sweat in summer, and look forward to the cool of autumn."

Read the whole article here.

From Yale Environment 360, part of the Guardian Environment Network.