In the U.S. Senate next month, there will be another debate about whether to mandate more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

There is not a lot of suspense about the outcome in what has become a stale annual ritual. After a few days of rehashing decades-old arguments, a bipartisan majority of lawmakers, looking out for the interests of automakers and auto workers, will vote to keep the status quo.

But outside the capital beltway and the confines of Metro Detroit, there are growing attempts to raise awareness that the vehicles Americans drive have an impact on the environment. The war in Iraq has helped renew interest in weaning the country from foreign oil. At the same time, there is a populist backlash against government attempts to legislate or regulate the kinds of cars in people's driveways.

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