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"I would ask the United States, we ask for your leadership. But if for some reason you're not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way." (1)

Frisco, Texas is consistently ranked as one of America's fastest growing cities. But underlying the sprawling suburbs, ritzy shopping centers, and those iconic mega-mansions in the popular far North Dallas town is a belief Americans simply take for granted; a belief that our country has inculcated in us since birth.

They say everything is bigger in Texas. That well-known catchphrase certainly does hold a lot of weight, particularly when it comes to the vehicles some Texans drive. On any given day, one can take a short drive through Dallas' northern suburbs to catch multiple sightings of not simply the average SUV, but alsoGM's Hummer - a "civilianized" military vehicle that has become the latest dernier cri amongst wealthy suburbanites. Averaging an estimated 8-10 miles per gallon with a starting MSRP of over fifty-six thousand dollars, the enormous Hummer H2 has become an undeniable and obtuse symbol of status and prominence. Even the recent documentary, "A Crude Awakening," interviewed one Dallas area Hummer dealership where an enthusiastic salesperson readily admitted that the Hummer represented the ultimate in America's "see here, I'm wealthy and powerful" attitude so evident in those who wish to flaunt it.

So just what is America's dirty little secret what has led so many astray? It's simple: America is the land of eternal plenty. Plenty of oil, plenty of food, plenty of water, and plenty of clean air. And not just plenty in the here and now; but plenty forever. It is this widespread endemic perception that has in large part hindered the effort to not only find new sources of renewable energy, but also to curtail the trend toward a fast-warming globe.

Of the 174 countries ratifying the February, 2005 Kyoto Protocol, the United States, admittedly the largest emitter of carbon dioxide globally, is conspicuously absent. In 2001, President George W. Bush pulled out of Kyoto for fear new carbon dioxide restrictions would harm the U.S. economy. Furthermore, the president lamented the omission of binding CO2 restrictions on some growing nations, most notably, China. Others agreed with the president's conclusion, even comparing Kyoto to mere window dressing that doesn't go far enough to curb CO2 emissions. While Mr. Bush may have had some valid points in his rejection of Kyoto, U.S. snubbing of this

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