[LarryC]

You (original poster) make a good point, which seems to have gotten sidetracked in this thread. The only way people are going to make serious lifestyle changes is if they are compelled to for economic reasons. The present energy paradigm is not sustainable, especially when you factor in other high population countries like China and India. As the documentary, The End of Suburbia points out, there is a need to rethink the American cultural landscape so it doesn' t depend on personal cars to get everywhere.