An e-mail correspondent interested in climate change asked whether Hawai'i residents are being asked to do too much in addressing the issue.

"It seems to me, you are asking the residents of this state to make sacrifices that no one else seems willing to make," he wrote.

While there is clearly a spectrum of individual, business and government responses to climate change around the nation and the world, it is also clear that there are lots of places whose efforts significantly surpass those made in the Islands.

Australia, for instance, has ordered the use of incandescent light bulbs phased out within three years to save energy — since other lighting options use far less electricity.

Denmark leads the world in wind power, with 20 percent of its electricity coming from wind turbines. The country has also made money off the technology, with Denmark producing nearly half the world's wind turbines. Hawaiian Electric reports it produces 93 percent of its power from petroleum and coal.

Europeans drive cars with an average fuel efficiency roughly double that in the United States. The European fleet averages more than 40 miles per gallon. However, better fuel efficiency doesn't mean you have to be cramped in your car and doesn't mean you have to pay more.

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change says "Light-duty vehicle fuel economy could be increased by one-fourth to one-third at less than the cost of the fuel saved over the vehicle's lifetime." And with reductions in aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, engine and transmission improvements, safety and comfort could be preserved, the organization says.

California has issued automobile emission standards that are significantly stricter than national standards.

A number of states have greenhouse gas targets tougher than Hawai'i's. Maine and Connecticut have state policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2010 and 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Hawai'i, by contrast, hopes to have a plan by 2010 and to reach 1990 levels by 2020. Trailing Hawai'i, Florida has a proposal to reach 1990 levels by 2025.

Many communities take an aggressive tack in recycling, including curbside recycling, which is not the standard in any Hawai'i county.

We're doing some things in Hawai'i, but it is far from clear that Islanders are making "sacrifices no one else seems willing to make."

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.