The green thing

Dorsetmike

Member

In the line at the supermarket, 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 her 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, soft drink bottles and beer bottles to the shop. The shop sent them back to the factory to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. They 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 streets.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's nappies because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in a 220 volt energy gobbling machine - 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 handkerchief, not a screen the size of a cricket pitch with a remote control taking power even when not being used. 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. They didn't have air conditioning or electric stoves with self cleaning ovens. They didn't have battery operated toys, computers, or mobile telephones that need charging every day.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn fuel just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They used hand operated clippers to trim the shrubs. They exercised by walking and 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 glass filled from the tap when they were thirsty instead of using 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. They cleaned their teeth with a hand brush, not an electric toothbrush.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.


Back then, people walked or took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour instanttaxi service to take them anywhere they wanted to go. 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?








 

marval

New member
Well said Mike, I bet the modern generation would struggle without the technoloy of today. Years ago we were much greener than they are now, we are always being told to go green. It was never called the green thing when I was young, but we were much greener, and didn't need to be nagged either.


Margaret
 

GoneBaroque

New member
Very good Mike. Don't forget, In those days the people took care of themselves and each other. The government didn't do it.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Back then there were more conveniently located stores - Now you are almost forced to go to a "Mall" to do your shopping needs - And have to truck half way across town - If you don't have a car, well, sorry charlie, its gonna be tough, if not downright impossible to tote all those items back to ones domicile. Thankfully I live in a big city with an embarrassment of choices right around the corner. But I can empathise with those who live in much smaller towns or villages with little or no public transit services - What a drag it is - A shopping run that requires the whole darn day.............
 

Chi_townPhilly

Sr. Regulator
Sr. Regulator
In the line at the supermarket, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
Although I enjoyed the entire post, I'd like to comment on this opening sentence.

Grocery store plastic bags (provided they aren't irredeemably cheap and develop holes in transit) enjoy a high rate of re-use. If one has 4-gallon wastebaskets in some of the rooms of one's home, they suffice nicely for waste-basket liners. They are the preferred method for dealing with pet-waste from dog-walks and/or litter-box soil. And if these grocery-store plastic bags weren't available, one would have to purchase bags (which will almost certainly be plastic, too) for these functions ANYWAY.

As you might be able to tell, the whole idea of finger-wagging at the use of plastic-bags kind of makes my (burro) tired.
 

Soubasse

New member
Don't forget, In those days the people took care of themselves and each other. The government didn't do it.
The government aren't doing a great deal to look after us today either!!

I was sent that tome via an internal email recently - enjoyed it greatly. Good to see it doing the rounds on various fora.
 

teddy

Duckmeister
We reuse our plastic bags for emptying the ashes from the fire. Of course you have to wait for the ashes to cool first, but certainly a convienient way to dispose of them. And yes, it saves us purchaseing them.

teddy
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
. . . Grocery store plastic bags (provided they aren't irredeemably cheap and develop holes in transit) enjoy a high rate of re-use . . . And if these grocery-store plastic bags weren't available, one would have to purchase bags (which will almost certainly be plastic, too) for these functions ANYWAY.

While in Denmark this past summer, we did some grocery shopping in the village of Uvelse ... free plastic bags were not available for your purchased goods ... if you didn't bring yours from home, you could purchase them at the checkout.

Now, locally, they are saying that old used plastic bags are spreading germs and bacteria and that people should be washing them out before re-using. So, they are then telling us to use up more of our resources (water and soap) to re-use these bags.

Not being "green" while trying to "be green" ... something wrong, there. :nut:
 

Dorsetmike

Member
Now, locally, they are saying that old used plastic bags are spreading germs and bacteria and that people should be washing them out before re-using. So, they are then telling us to use up more of our resources (water and soap) to re-use these bags.

I use strong cloth (like canvas) bags, have done for years, never washed them, don't intend to start; my mother used similar ones before me never had any problems. Sounds like "they" probably have some financial interest somewhere, either they make plastic bags, soap or have shares in the water utiity (or all three).
 

marval

New member
In my one of our local supermarkets, they always ask if you need any bags. They don't charge for them though, but another shop automatically starts packing your things in one of their bags without asking. I have a trolley on wheels and a bag of my own, so I don't need them.


Margaret
 

teddy

Duckmeister
I think we will see a move toward less packaging in the future. This will generally be a good thing, but I would hate to see food wrapped in old newspaper as it sometimes was when I was a child. Mind you, fish and chips, soaked in salt and vinegar and wrapped in newspaper certainly tasted better.

teddy
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Don't start me on people's fear of the odd germ or two ... it's one of the reasons the Japanese have such bad imune systems, too clean.
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
A store in NZ 'The Warehouse' stopped putting your purchases into plastic bags so you have to struggle to your car dropping stuff all over the place, I got very psisde offe with this so on my next visit I arrived at the check in with a trolley full of small value purchases that came to a total of just over NZ$120. after they had been scanned and the total given the cash out operator asked if I would like them put into bags I said yes please, so she put all the stuff into 7 bags and then said 'that will be another 70cents sir' I asked if she was serious and she said it was store policy, so being a rotten sod I said that I would give it a miss and they could put the goods back on the shelf and promptly walked out.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Comrade Colin,

I now have read about a piquant detail in re to your character at the foodmart - You're not a pot-smoking, dread-lock wearing layabout :grin::cheers::up::whistle:
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Comrade Colin,

I now have read about a piquant detail in re to your character at the foodmart - You're not a pot-smoking, dread-lock wearing layabout :grin::cheers::up::whistle:
Well CD I have never tried pot despite being in various bands in the 50's, just not interested, now booze well that is a weakness but not to the extent of getting pi&&ed, my hair is too thin for dreadlocks but I always wanted a 'pony tail' too late now, I was lucky enough to be working all my life but retired at 65 and love it. God! I am boring eh where did all those years go?
 
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