Swedish environmental lessons

The result is that, as in most areas of the United States, using an automobile and burning fossil fuel as an individual driver is largely unavoidable. As the Akins pointed out, even if they want to go hiking, they have to get in their car first and drive to the hiking area.

The ability of the Swedes to decrease their environmental impact more than the Americans can also be traced to cultural differences. As Ulsh and Mrs. Akin, who visited Kalmar this summer, can attest, Swedes are more concerned about being good stewards of their environment.

"There were recycling bins everywhere, and regular people doing small things," remembered Akin.

"In general, people bike and walk more, and the cities are structured differently. They're not so dependent on cars," Ulsh said. "It's amazing – there's a community spirit and you know that everyone's doing [things to help the environment], so you're making much more of an impact."

Ulsh's comment came a few weeks after Deputy Prime Minister Olofsson's visit, on an evening when the Climate Pilots were gathered around the Stokeses' dining room table again. In light of the international climate talks then occurring in Copenhagen, the question arose: Would the US ever be like Sweden on the environmental front?

Stokes was optimistic: "Once you know these things [that are harmful to the environment], you can't in good conscience continue doing them," he said, musing that one day people will be deemed "uncool" if they drive inefficient vehicles or eat a lot of beef.

"We'll look back at the '70s and '80s and say, 'Remember when we used to do that?' But it's like [the campaign to reduce] smoking – it takes a long time," he added. Others weren't so sure Americans would measure up.

"I think there's a lot of resistance here to changing the culture and the community to be more ecological," said Mr. Akin. "I think people want what's convenient, not necessarily what's better for future generations. But when things get so expensive that they have to cut back, they do."

Experts are also divided on whether projects such as this are worthwhile. John Rogers, a senior energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, supports initiatives, such as the Climate Pilots, that challenge people to change their behavior. "I cast my vote for individual action," he said. "Small changes make a difference, and these things can have a real impact once you aggregate them."

Small changes not enough

"Any time there's an effort to draw attention to living more sustainably, it's beneficial," said Erik Assadourian, who's in charge of the Worldwatch Institute's annual report, State of the World, which examines Western culture's impact on the environment. "Efforts like this help open people to new ideas and begin to normalize these behaviors."

However, Mr. Assadourian cautions that making small changes to personal behavior may not be enough to end climate change. "The scale of what we're talking about requires a total shift in how we live," he said. "We have to change the culture and consume radically less."

Since the project ended at the end of January, the Climate Pilots will probably stop meeting as a group, but all agree that they'll keep up their sustainable lifestyles. The program, they say, gave them something lasting – an awareness that living green doesn't have to be a monumental task.

"We see now that you don't have to change your whole lifestyle," said Mr. Akin. "You can do small things, bit by bit."

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