I am 62 years old and have grown up composting and recycling. It is second nature, like breathing, to me. After reading some of the posts, to my husband this morning, we got in a huge discussion on the fact that it's almost too little, too late. The recycling done by the few folks who are doing so, is not a drop in the bucket, compared to the huge factories that send tons of materials to the land fills on a daily basis, instead of being sent to be recycled. My husband worked for many years for companies where he saw it first hand, and even participated in the bulldozing which covered the dump sites. He feels the small amount of recycling I do in our home is worthless, on account of seeing the things he has. He feels my efforts are in vain, and are a waste of time.I wash and bag every piece of recyclable material that comes through our home and deliver it 25-30 miles to what I feel is a reputable recycling organization.They meet me at the door and take my materials inside where they have a crew waiting to sort it and send it on big trucks to larger towns where they have the set up to better utilize it.So many folks in our country are too lazy to bother with recycling.
And, yes,I do agree with one of the comments to my previous post, in that the products we buy are "junk". Years ago, you could buy an appliance and have it for twenty years. My parents had a refrigerator which they purchased in about 1950, and when I left home and got a job,and married in 1966, I thought they needed a nice, new, prettier one, so I talked Mom into getting rid of the "old" refrigerator,which was still in good working order,at the time, to make room for the newer,prettier one. The new one lasted only 4 years.The older one continued working for several more years. My home burned 3 years ago,and we installed all new appliances. Within 2 years, the microwave went out, and the cost of repairing it was nearly as much as a new one. We bought a new one to go in it's place. The old one sits on the porch,looks like new, but is worthless.Why is this allowed to happen?Hopefully, I can donate it to an appliance repair school for training purposes.I feel the marketing people figured out that if they make appliances that solid and sound, they would not get enough resells from these poor folks.That spells greed to me.They could care less if already struggling families can or cannot afford a new fridge in 4-5 years. All they care about is the almighty dollar they're putting in their pocket.Now many of our tools,appliances,clothing,etc. are made in other countries.Cheaper labor is a big reason for moving our factories to other countries.Again,greed enters into the equation, but much of the reason,too,I feel, is because so many American people have become to lazy and complacent to work.Good jobs are hard to find nowadays, but folks who really want to work, will find work. It may not be the ideal job they once had, but they will find work of some kind to carry them over until,hopefully,the economy bounces back, if it ever does.
The politicians in Washington can bicker and squabble to the end of time, as I'm sure they will, but the problems in our country, are not going to be solved during the four year tenure of any one man.Especially since that one man does not have the power the world thinks he has. In many cases, his wishes,whether they be favorable or not, are overruled by Congress, in one way or another.Congress,as is most of our government, is a complicated thing, and made more so by the dishonesty of so many folks in powerful places.It seems we are at their mercy, and becoming more so, day by day.Our need to be more self sufficient and self reliant is of utmost importance.More now than at any other time.I, for one, am working harder, toward that very goal.I think we all need to wake up and take heed, before it's too late, although it may be too late already, to turn things around.We need to spend less,make more of what we need and use,utilize what we already have,recycle more,find more wholesome and less expensive entertainment,help our neighbors by bartering and sharing more.These are only a few ways we can begin to make things better.It's a long hard road, but our once great nation was built by hard working folks,rolling up their sleeves and doing these same things. They struggled and survived and built a strong nation.Surely we can do the same,once again.
These are my opinions only. I don't claim to know much about politics, but I am smart enough to know things are not going well, and we each need to do what we can to change it.
This verse may not be worded accurately,but you get the idea.
If you always do,what you've always done,You'll always get what you've always had.
