Even The Nonhippies Who Are Not-Environmental-Cliché-Types Are Doing It

No not sex silly! (Now we know what's on your mind). Rather, they are going green. Everyone and their brother is doing it, and its no longer just the granola crunchy patchouli drenched set, or crazy left-winged urban liberals. I'm proud to say that in New York City, the average carbon footprint is almost 4 times lower than the average American.

Already, the average denizen of New York City produces 7.1 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year, according to statistics compiled for the city government, compared with 24.5 metric tons for the average American. [New York Times]

Luckily for the environment and our children's children, yuppie suburbanites are starting to follow in the footsteps of their urbanite brethren.

Disavowing bloated gas-guzzling S.U.V.'s, installing solar panels, and using clotheslines among other things, this group is a growing subset in suburbia.  Mike Tidwell, a suburban environmentalist from Takoma Park Maryland is an example of this new shift and notes how its going green is becoming mainstream.

“In the American suburbs, people are suddenly literate in the language of carbon emissions and carbon footprints,” he said. “I’m hearing it in most mainstream places.”

Last summer, Mr. Tidwell attended a picnic where, he said, a guest had brought a plate of kiwi fruit imported from New Zealand. “This very nonhippie, not-environmental-cliché-type woman I heard asking another person, ‘I wonder what the carbon budget of these kiwis are?’ ” he said. “I was just astonished.”

Does this mean an end to minivans and soccer moms?  I hope, but doubt that will be the case...