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I've read many of the comments here and I'm surprise at the responses that blame the US or other countries. Undoubtedly the US holds its share of the blame, but it seems that there is more substantial progress here than there is in Europe. For example, the US started phasing out leaded gasoline in 1972 and was completed about 10 years ago. Today lead is not present in the air. Leaded gasoline is still sold in Europe. Air Pollution in Paris is 3 times worst than Los Angeles, where in the late 60's daily smog alerts were common. Last year there were less than a dozen. Additionally, great progress has been made in water, waste, chemical and other pollution and the conservation of our vast wild lands. But there is still A LOT more work to do. We need to find a way to reduce CO2 emission while maintaining and improving productivity and 4% unemployment. I think Europe needs to pay attention to their own back yard before pointing the finger at other countries.
B. Keller, USA

Of course the governments are not serious about being 'green', to them it's a perfect way to bring more money into the treasury. "we will put 50 pence per litre on fossil fuels, it a green tax, and good for you" What utter rubbish. If they were serious on this issue, it costs MONEY, and this and to be fair other countries are not prepared to spend to back up their green credentials.
Steve Cross, Scotland

No, European governments often make the right noises but their actions betray their words. At the end of the day they are committed to more and more growth and always take a consumerist approach. They allow industries to carry on polluting and destroying the world as long as they are providing jobs. The result is climate change on a massive scale - flooding and other disasters which were once irregular are becoming more frequent. I hope that a growing number of Greens elected to national and local Governments across Europe will slowly begin to make a difference, but I suspect that its already too late and that the global corporations will fight tooth and nail to avoid any environmental restrictions on their businesses. If Government's won't act then direct action groups will have to challenge environmental abuse in all its forms.
Barry Tregear, England

Europe is acting green because it is currently in fashion. Some good will come from this, but we can only hope that when the gross exaggerations made by some in the green industry, come to be public knowledge that there is not too much of a backlash. We should be worrying about direct environmental issues, and not worrying about overstated issues such as the 5% of carbon dioxide emissions that are man made.
Keith, UK

No I don't think we are. If we were we would legislate effectively and immediately. Behind the scenes though business, as ever, will playing the short-term game and be "lobbying" so that things don't change. Take Britain and the car as an example. Britain is effectively killing some of its city and town centres with traffic. Whenever the idea of car bans is introduced the whole car owning population goes into shock. There's no way they are going to be seen using public transport or other healthier options.
Mike, UK

Air pollution is much worse in Europe every time I visit there. It may be serious in word but so far not in deed. Especially in controlling particulate matter and other noxious oil exhausts. Both Britain and the continent need to get control of internal combustion engine emissions.
Dave Roberts, USA

Certain places of Europe such as Denmark, Netherlands and Switzerland seem to be more environmentally conscious by riding bikes within the towns and using wind mills in the country as an alternative energy source. From what I have seen of the UK little effort has been achieved to alleviate pollution problems. There are no recycling bins as there are in Australia, there are hardly any Environmental campaigns or education within schools or on media in relation to making people more environmentally conscious.
If more people are aware of what chemicals they use in everyday life and how using their legs instead of the car could help the environment maybe more people will know that their children's children might have less problems to deal with in the future. Australians seem more environmentally aware even though our country is not as well developed or as old as the UK, but prevention is far better than cure and we are learning fast from other countries mistakes. Today's people take little notice of the fauna and flora around them. We live in a world of our own. However, the world is changing and if more people are educated of this maybe just a few people might make a difference.
L Skehan, UK

A country is only as green as its citizens. And as long as most of our lives centre around the car and consumption of goods, you can't say we are green or even remotely interested in preserving our planet for our children. Massive research funds go into all sorts of useless research such as genetic engineering, instead of looking how to improve public transport, distribution of goods, energy savings and the way we organise our work life and spare time.
Elisabeth, UK

Europe being green, we seem to be working towards it steadily. But I have to agree with N. Missoulis, the bulk of the problem is outside Europe. In particular when are the US going to drop their arrogant and self-interested objections to reducing CO2 emissions and other measures for reducing pollution?
John B, UK

I think the green issue is still not addressing the problem correctly. No matter how much waste we re-cycle or how much we reduce industrial pollution the real issue is population. You can recycle 95% of the waste an individual produces, but if the population is too large to allow the planet to cope with the 5% that's left over, the result is the same. At the moment 'green's take the 'rationing' point of view instead of the 'prevent at source' approach.
How do we achieve it? Population control. Tax people who have more than one child and use that money to plant another tree or whatever to balance the damage to the environment that person causes by existing!!
Roy Matthews, England

I believe Europe is suffering from 'having its cake and eating it' syndrome, i.e. we are willing to be 'green' as long as it does not affect our standard of living / way of life. For example, we are willing to use unleaded fuel but reluctant to restrict the use of cars. Although there seem to have been some successful green initiatives they lack any overall vision and tend to be fragmented. By the way, I am as guilty as the next European of this!
Tim Riley, UK

If the developing world is to be allowed to industrialize (which is necessary to raise living standards and reduce poverty) then Europe and the USA must reduce pollution by more than enough to offset development elsewhere. However, most governments of the developed world are too in thrall to big business to take serious action to regulate business - and as we know business have no interest whatsoever in investing in green measures. So instead of tackling industrial pollution which is the real problem, European politicians will pass some laws affecting the car driver - same as always.
Richard, UK

Europe is serious about being Green as it is currently a political vote winner. When it starts to bite economically then people (and those seeking their votes) may well change their minds.
Keith Walker, UK

Slowly Europe is starting to see green, but there is always more we could do. What about having an annual mileage limit for private vehicles? For arguments sake, let's say the first 6000 miles is free, with a charge of a pound a mile over 6000? This would certainly encourage use of public transport. We are told that trees are good for the environment. What about planting long lived trees on 'Set aside' farming land? Job swap schemes may be possible. When I drive down the M4 to London in the morning I see just as many cars going the other way. It seems likely that many of us could exchange similar jobs and work closer to home.
Geoff, UK

As long as people don't realize that a healthy environment means saving money in the future, nothing will change. Capitalism says: Money is all that counts. But no one of the bigwigs is able to understand that a clean environment is the best investment for tomorrow one can ever find. Because with all the money one's got, health cannot be bought.
M. Herrmann, Germany

Europe will only be green when the left-wing governments, such as Britain's labour party, have been thrown out of power. Historically, it is these governments that have polluted the environment, preferring industrial output over quality of life.
John Atkins, Malaysia

No country is serious about being green. Australia is among the worst polluters, but we don't have as many people as Europe does. That does not excuse Australia.
Simon Fuller, Australia

Does Europe have any type of conservation areas to save trees?
Mark, USA

Yes, I think Europe is serious about going green, noticeably Germany. The initiative of Germany in developing alternatives and safer options in wide ranging product categories like paper and textiles ... and by developing standards to ensure their safety ... is commendable and laudable. It is time that Britain and other European countries did the same. Germany's work must be reflected across Europe in new and more widespread green R&D.
Rajat Parakh, India

Yes, certainly more so than the USA. With a Red-Green coalition in Germany, the drive of Europe towards a greener future may well be assured.
Andrew Leicester, UK

Yes, too green, and our higher energy prices will hold us back against North America and Asia unless we pull out of this stupid EU business now.
Alex Stanway, England

Most parts of the EU seem to be green which shows in contrast how un-green the UK is.
Cameron, England

Government policy appears to lag two decades behind the vanguard of green activism. Much of the activist agenda of the 70s is now official policy.
John Telegdy, USA

Europe is no more committed to being Green than the rest of the world. No enough is being one by the Governments to promote Alternative Fuels and other technologies like Fuel Cells. It will take a government's power and money to make these new technologies viable. No one will do anything unless they have to let's just hope it's not too late when they do!
Timothy Dunne, England

Nearly everyone, Europeans or not, is serious about 'going green' to one extent or another. The commitment to greenness is generally very strong until it starts to bite. Once people start to experience economic pain due to environmental policies, they begin to reassess the virtues of going green. Unemployment in many big European countries is out of control. It remains stubbornly over 10% in both France and Germany. In Spain it is even higher. Ditto for Italy. The British have avoided this due to their more flexible labor market, but the coming economic slowdown/recession in the UK will lead to increased joblessness there, too. Is a time of high unemployment the moment to pursue aggressively green policies? Perhaps. It just depends on how much you value trees and how much you value jobs. The two are not mutually exclusive, of course, but anyone who tells you green policies may be painlessly pursued is either a liar or a fool.
Thomas Threlkeld, USA

Though (western) Europeans are much more sensitive on environmental issues that any other nation we are still far from realising the emergency of the situation. It was because of industrial revolution that we escaped poverty; unless we change our environmental behaviour we will eventually return to poverty since "money cannot be eaten". Yet the hard core of the problem is outside Europe.
N. Missoulis, Greece & England

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