Can you relate to this? The "green thing"

[98valk]

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

   The woman apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

   The clerk responded, "That's our problem today.  Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

   
   She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

   
   Back then, we returned 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 we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

   We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

   But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

   Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind.  We 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; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.


   Back then, we 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 handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.


   In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

   When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

   Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.  We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

   But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.  

   We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.


   We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor bla des in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

   But we 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 walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.


   We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.  And we 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 we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?


   Please forward this on to another selfish older person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass young person.

[..]

The school bus yard is next to the local City run recycling dept.

I love the people who drive to dutifully hand over their recycle items. Maybe a few water jugs and a bundle of cardboar/newspapers.

I do wonder how many miels they drove to take part in the recycling and if they ever thought about the gas used, tires worn, oil life etc etc.

I save my bike oil until my truck gets an oil change (a little gets used in my lawn mover) and I take it to the shop and they add it to their waste.

Old bike tires I take to the recycle on my way to work. Adds about 100 yards to my commute

[The Anvil]

No, you didn't have the green thing back in your day. You did not do those things out of environmental consciousness, you did it out of necessity. Previous generations also dumped toxins into rivers and lakes and oceans, strip mined and deforested with reckless abandon and pushed numerous species of wildlife to and past the brink of extinction with barely a thought of the consequences. Don't make me point out all of the damage that previous generations have done because it won't be pretty. Are we perfect now? Oh far from it. But people are trying to change attitudes and it's working. Slowly, but it's better than treating the earth like a whore and a toilet.

What's done is done and we know better now. Just own it.

[bscrive]

The 'green thing' is only around because some are making big money on it.  It will be a thing of the past once the profit margins disappear.

[The Anvil]

The 'green thing' is only around because some are making big money on it.  It will be a thing of the past once the profit margins disappear.

Economic forces certainly help. But that's not going to change because as resources become more scarce recycling is no longer an option but a necessity. The amount of money to be made on recycling is only going to go up.

[Bobbo]

The 'green thing' is only around because some are making big money on it.  It will be a thing of the past once the profit margins disappear.

You liberals are always against business, profit, and entrepreneurship…   

The "green thing" is the result of a disposable society.  Ever since we developed the luxury of not having to reuse many things, we created a huge amount of additional waste.  If we don't figure out a way of reusing that waste, we will also become disposable.

[Hoser]

When I check out at the grocery store, they always ask "paper or plastic"  I always reply "whatever is worse for the environment".  Sometimes they give me paper, sometimes they give me plastic! I honestly don't know or care.   Hoser

[The Anvil]

When I check out at the grocery store, they always ask "paper or plastic"  I always reply "whatever is worse for the environment".  Sometimes they give me paper, sometimes they give me plastic! I honestly don't know or care.   Hoser

Most grocery stores don't even offer paper anymore which is too bad because it's great for deep frying mats.

[Jeff K]

I read an article about reused cloth grocery bags. If they do not get washed after every use you can cross contaminate. Nothing like a little science experiment in your "green" grocery bags. fermenting chicken juice...
 

[Jeff K]

I also get a huge kick out of the people that "recycle" garbage into useless items. Take a bunch of trash, fashion it into a very ugly purse, call it "recycling"... it is still trash, but now it's trash that can not be recycled...

[sugerbear]

I also get a huge kick out of the people that "recycle" garbage into useless items. Take a bunch of trash, fashion it into a very ugly purse, call it "recycling"... it is still trash, but now it's trash that can not be recycled...

if it's ugly enough, the rich folks will by it because it's "shiek"  kinda like a harley.............(i didn't say that out loud did i?)

sorry willow, couldn't help myself

[Tropic traveler]

I don't think the writer was excusing the excesses or ignorance of the past by pointing out "the old days" ways. I think it was more of a "glass houses" kind of point.

[MacDragon]

I don't think the writer was excusing the excesses or ignorance of the past by pointing out "the old days" ways. I think it was more of a "glass houses" kind of point.

I agree ... it was just a dig on the girl who threw that out at the guy at the store.  There is way more waste now than there has ever been in history.

[ComradBlack]

Enviromentalist dont give a s&!t about the planet

George Carlin on The Environment (HQ)	powered by Aeva

[The Anvil]

I don't think the writer was excusing the excesses or ignorance of the past by pointing out "the old days" ways. I think it was more of a "glass houses" kind of point.

I agree ... it was just a dig on the girl who threw that out at the guy at the store.  There is way more waste now than there has ever been in history.

because there are so cursed many more of us. We're also part of a disposable society.

[bscrive]

The tree huggers are also the ones that say we can control global warming.  We can stop water, ground and air pollution but we have absolutely no control over the temp of the earth.  The 'top' scientists will tell us one thing today and something totally different tomorrow.  It just depends on who they work for.  Have you seen all the commercials lately telling us how great the oil companies are, give me a break.  And by the way Anvil I am a conservative or as you Americans call it ..republican.

[The Anvil]

And by the way Anvil I am a conservative or as you Americans call it ..republican.

Republicans and conservatives are not the same thing actually. Bush II was a Republican but he was no conservative, at least not a fiscal conservative.

As far as "global warming: goes, well they're not even calling it that anymore. It's "climate change".  Fact is, the earth throughout it's history has gone through dozens of climatic change cycles and they were all long before man could have possible affected the climate. The FACT is that while it's certainly possible that we're the cause (or at least an accelerant) for this one the actual evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of it being just another natural occurrence.

[MacDragon]

Yep... There will be another ice age... not in our lifetimes maybe... but there will most certainly be one.   

[musclehead]

Enviromentalist dont give a s&!t about the planet

George Carlin on The Environment (HQ)

how can you say that? Al Gore cares deeply, he still lives in a house that uses 5 times the electricity of a mere mortal, but he cares deeply! well he still flies around in a private jet, but he cares deeply!
I bet he still eats dead cow even though they contribute to global warming

[musclehead]

And by the way Anvil I am a conservative or as you Americans call it ..republican.

Republicans and conservatives are not the same thing actually. Bush II was a Republican but he was no conservative, at least not a fiscal conservative.

As far as "global warming: goes, well they're not even calling it that anymore. It's "climate change".  Fact is, the earth throughout it's history has gone through dozens of climatic change cycles and they were all long before man could have possible affected the climate. The FACT is that while it's certainly possible that we're the cause (or at least an accelerant) for this one the actual evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of it being just another natural occurrence.

dang you! just when I'm about ready to blast you on some point or another you go and actually make sense

[RoadKill]

I got the green thing once...made it burn when I pee !