Americans don't pay much attention to environmental issues because they aren't sexy. I mean cleaning up coal plants and reining in outlaw frackers is hugely important work but it doesn't get anybody's pulse racing.
Every time I got 'Amazing Spider-Man' or 'Fantastic Four' or another book firmly on the rails we got pulled into some big event book or crossover and it cost momentum and messed badly with the pacing and structure of the book.