How to get rid of SUVs

The attorneys general of nine states, including some of my favorites, California, Vermont and Oregon, are currently suing the Bush administration for not increasing the fuel efficiency standards fast enough and high enough to lessen both our need for foreign oil and our fueling of global warming.

On the one hand, I vote yes, cause we definitely need much higher fuel efficiency standards, and the science is there if we force it.

But I wonder if this is the best method of forcing it, what with the cost of the trials and slow process of the legal system. Does the suing really do anything, other than get attention? Can't we just go get on a podium somewhere with a megaphone and shout these things at passersby?

We know that Detroit and friends will fight this tooth and nail, as they always do, so why are we wasting time with governmental in fighting? What if Bush was a leader in environmental reform? What if he presented the nation and the world with a comprehensive plan for us to no longer rely on foreign oil by 2030, say. Think big, steady jumps in required fuel efficiency and big infrastructure money going into trains and subways and other public transportation. Think tax cuts for businesses who cut their overall energy consumption by some percentage (15?) in X number of years.

The states could get into it too, with lowered speed limits on highways, rebates for lowered electricity use and such. The federal, state and local governments could be leaders in office-level conservation, turning off and unplugging equipment at night, using less night lights and less day lights as well.

Businesses could join in the fun by encouraging employees to work from home when possible and by rewarding their most energy efficient employees. It doesn't have to be about hurting businesses, though that seems to be the attitude the government takes. This is quite an opportunity for car makers, as the higher the fuel efficiency they have, the better their cars will sell. Just look at the waiting lists for buying Priuses right now.

It is clear that swiftly and drastically altering the way we live in America will help both the average Joe's pocketbook and his health, as well as the future for his kids. When all of these things are truly in play, how could the government conscionably act to slow such change?