06-10-2011, 09:33 AM

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."

He 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?

06-10-2011, 10:41 AM

no point to my post now

06-10-2011, 11:16 AM

Thanks for that Bob!

Yes...in the old days some things may not have been as "green" or as environmentally friendly...but there were a TON of things that were a lot LESS wasteful (like was mentioned in your post).

- Nick

06-10-2011, 11:27 AM

My dad sent that to me in an e-mail recently. Wonder how many people are willing to be that green.

06-10-2011, 11:33 AM

I remember most of those and sadly will still take my amp hungry central air over the attic fan and centrally located gas grate heater any day.

06-10-2011, 11:37 AM

One of my sister's still has the imprint of our centrally located gas grate floor heater on the bottom of her foot.

06-10-2011, 11:59 AM

That was a great article.

06-10-2011, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by bobtomay

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

Hes obviously a rubbish clerk - a good one knows when to keep their mouth shut.

I probably would have been disciplined for saying that.

06-10-2011, 12:52 PM

Kids these days are rude. Enjoy the heat smart-alec.

06-10-2011, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by XJ-linux

Kids these days are rude.

It looks like I'm not the only one who has noticed. I don't think most of them have been taught any manners.

06-10-2011, 01:15 PM

Let's not forget that they are also the ones who led the charge to the way we do things now because all that was a pain in the rear. The soda companies don't want to recycle glass bottles anymore… it's cheaper to just make 'em plastic and toss 'em. Let someone else recycle those if they want. Never mind how germophobic people are today. People are inherently lazy and shortsighted. Maybe not lazy, but humans and creatures alike all favor the easy way out, consequences be ****ed. This is never going to change.

06-10-2011, 01:27 PM

That's just nostalgia putting a shine on the past. Don't forget that back in the day, DDT was the repellent of choice

-Asbestos was used for car brakes, and insulation

-Oil drilling everywhere (this is the Venice Oil Fields in Southern California back in the day)

-Gas was leaded and there was no such thing as catalytic converters


Electronics were power hungry too. I bet that 1 TV and the lights in the house took as much power as all the TV's and Monitors in my house currently (Well maybe not the 60")

The article made some very valid points, there was plenty back in the day that was good and green, but lets not forget all the nastiness too.

06-10-2011, 01:48 PM

I was going to say what Ivan noted - my generation (define "this generation") may do things a little differently but both treated the environment with disregard. I don't see this as a generational thing but rather as a set of cultural beliefs regarding the environment (mainly that it is ours to do with as we please) that haven't really changed since the Industrial Revolution.

06-10-2011, 02:21 PM

What is greener by todays standards is housing its more insulated or at least they are
insulated as compared to yesteryear and automobiles get far better gas mileage while home electronics offer more with less consumption.

06-10-2011, 02:36 PM

"Didn't have the Green thing back in the day." Two subjects:
Meat
Transportation
Those two things are worse for the environment tenfold over everything mentioned above, they did nothing.