Something I noticed while I was in Ireland was how many things people are doing there, automatically, that would be signs of a very environmentally conscious person in the U.S. … Everyone drives a tiny car, most people bike, walk, or take busses to get where they need to go, and many people hang their laundry out on the line rather than use a dryer.

While there, I really enjoyed all of these. In fact, I fell so in love with the smell of sheets fresh off the line, that after I came home I started hanging my laundry out to dry instead of using my dryer.

But really, is Ireland filled with “greener” people than here? That seems to be a conclusion people come to pretty quickly—America is the land of consumption and Europe is forward-thinking and conscientious. Maybe… a little. But really, when you look at it, there are really good reasons for why they act this way: economic reasons. After all, how much would you ride the bus if gas was $7:40 a gallon?

Economics aside, line-laundry still makes me happy.