That ain't how we do it in Texas...

An interesting article on municipal recycling rates appeared in the NYT. The highlight (or not) of the article was the fact that compared to the national average of 32% waste diverted to recycling from the landfill, Houston diverts a whopping 2%. According to the Mayor, this low participation is due to the fact that the citizens are not so gung-ho on jumping on some liberal, goberment program....

“We have an independent streak that rebels against mandates or anything that seems trendy or hyped up,” said Mayor Bill White, who favors expanding the city’s recycling efforts. “Houstonians are skeptical of anything that appears to be oversold or exaggerated. But Houstonians can change, and change fast.”