Over the course of the past several decades, the world has become much more energy-conscious. This trend actually began in the mid-1970's during the first energy crisis in the U.S. which was brought about by the Arab Oil Embargo. As Americans watched the cost of energy in general, and gasoline in particular, skyrocket, they rushed to find ways to stave off the siphoning of money from their wallets. Other, less-severe energy crises since then have served to make Americans more aware of their energy consumption. The federal government's mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards is evidence of the government mandating personal behavior of citizens in the name of conservation.
