Just how wasteful was the older generation??
jj20030
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 5,448
How Wasteful Was the Older Generation?
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In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”******
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."******
She was right, that generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.******
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. ******
But they didn’t have the green thing back in that customer's day.******
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.*****
But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.******
Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.******
But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.******
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a hankerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do******
everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.******
Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.*****
But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.*****
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and
they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.*****
But they didn’t have the green thing back then.*****
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.******
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old
folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
Comments
...cars, appliances, doors, windows, the way homes/buildings are built, faucets, curtains, toilets and the list goes on are all being built and made with more energy saving efficiency these days....Things were done back in the day because there wasn't another choice. Things weren't done because you were being energy conscious and understood your impact. So although we are using more; we are getting things done faster with less energy needed and are more conscious of our energy use.
In order for the "green" thing to make a showing as a marketing tool/social movement/value prop it had to be a needed thing - there had to be a realization. As technology evolved and people started to use more, people also realized that we had to become more efficient if use was only going to increase. Increasing use is inevitable but decreasing the impact is controllable. I think if we still made things the way they were made back in the day pollution/global warming/environmental problems would be a lot worse than they are now...
One day you will be driving behind an old antique car giving off a terrible oil smell just waiting for it to make a turn so you can get some relief. When it finally turns and you find yourself behind a new hybrid you won't rag on the current generation so much... after all, it could be every car giving off that bad smell...
I suppose it is all preference on what you drive or see on the road. I like hybrids and I like older cars as well. I was just trying to convey the emissions are a lot less.
I'll post again. I just joined the other day...