Do Americans get "it" yet?

[cybertentbob]

the "it" is that we (americans) are going to have move from mass consumerism to a new way of life..ie: recycling on a huge scale,conservation and ecology awareness.
My question to you is:Do you think we can change as a people?

[mario]

Slowly. Large parts of the change need to come from infrastructure. If it is convenient for people, they will be easily herded into a new way.

[DifferentDrummer]

most people will only do "it" when it affects their wallet/pocketbook.

for now at least.


which is why the high fuel prices were a good thing imo.

for the first time in a while, americans were actually paying attention to things like MPGs.

[cybertentbob]

yes our attention is getting more focused..But can we as a people change
our addiction to mass consumption? And will President Obama be able to effectively lead the people toward a recycling and less consumer driven economy?

[cybertentbob]

I wish grocery stores would just stop using plastic bags...I asked the manager at our market about this (shaws) He said that customers want plastic bags for the convienence.......Plastic is so bad..my new years resolution was to try to use stuff that isnt recyclable

[mario]

it will be a slow change in some areas. It has to come from the people. They banned plastic bags in SF, but the people wanted the ban.

[Franklin]

I don't think we really do get "it" at all, but we may slowly learn if the economy does not turn around. I consider us way too materialistic, to the point where almost everything is disposable.

We bought a $15 dvd player for the bedroom. It lasted 4 months and then crapped out -so in the garbage it went. Why? Because I was not going to pay another $10 to have it recycled, and I am a huge advocate of recycling and being green. I have a few computer monitors that will cost me $20 each to recycle, I have not decided to drop $60 on that yet, but will not throw it in the garbage.

So if I (super self righteous green guy) will throw out old electronics instead of paying $10 to recycle it imagine what people are really throwing away!

Our time is too "valuable" to fix things and recycle things properly.

I agree, we need to change -but how? Where do we start, with the children? Our grown up generations are way too addicted to mass consuption (and the thought process that their waste doesn't matter) to be able to change quickly enough.

One place is at the manufacturing end where so much is put into packaging. I don't see how we can turn that around, ever. In many cases more money is spent on packaging than the actual product. So many things produced in the Asian Pacific where they use dyes that are illegal to use everywhere in the West, but we'll still buy them.

Often I wonder where all of our trash really goes. How can we possibly handle it all?

[Nevrmore]

I wish grocery stores would just stop using plastic bags...I asked the manager at our market about this (shaws) He said that customers want plastic bags for the convienence.......Plastic is so bad..my new years resolution was to try to use stuff that isnt recyclable


I LOVE LOVE LOVE my canvas grocery bags. In fact, I had friends from all over the country send me bags from their local stores we don't have here. They are better for the enviroment, can carry heavier loads, are prettier and can be used for other things, and my grocery store gives you a 5 cent per bag you bring in and use credit!! :D

[BoggleKng]

Some places like Shaws give the bags away for free if you fill out a survey or something.. The local grocery store I shop at sells them for 99 cents.. I have been using them for the past several years now unless I forget to take them with me.. or I just end up recycling the plastic bags and taking them back to the store..

As for Americans getting "it" and ending consumerism... it will take a lot of effort... both on a large and small scale.. you have to put in the time and if you cant grow your food or make your own clothes, you have to get them some where..

[sicknasty]

I don't think we really do get "it" at all, but we may slowly learn if the economy does not turn around. I consider us way too materialistic, to the point where almost everything is disposable.

We bought a $15 dvd player for the bedroom. It lasted 4 months and then crapped out -so in the garbage it went. Why? Because I was not going to pay another $10 to have it recycled, and I am a huge advocate of recycling and being green. I have a few computer monitors that will cost me $20 each to recycle, I have not decided to drop $60 on that yet, but will not throw it in the garbage.

So if I (super self righteous green guy) will throw out old electronics instead of paying $10 to recycle it imagine what people are really throwing away!

Our time is too "valuable" to fix things and recycle things properly.

I agree, we need to change -but how? Where do we start, with the children? Our grown up generations are way too addicted to mass consuption (and the thought process that their waste doesn't matter) to be able to change quickly enough.

One place is at the manufacturing end where so much is put into packaging. I don't see how we can turn that around, ever. In many cases more money is spent on packaging than the actual product. So many things produced in the Asian Pacific where they use dyes that are illegal to use everywhere in the West, but we'll still buy them.

Often I wonder where all of our trash really goes. How can we possibly handle it all?

I wonder all the time WHERE THE HELL is all this stuff going??? I imagine some spot where there's this infinite amount of trash and garbage... but that can't be how it is. I dunno.

[ctbudtoker]

In westport,ct the groccery stores there do not use plastics bags I think it's a town law or something I think it start this year or last year. More and more places need to start doing that.

[ilmoesback]

we ship our trash all over the world ,drop it in the ocean,burnit ,feed it to animals,it will be the death of the earth oneday but it all stems from GREED...... cause of most if not all problems in this world GREED.no medicine for it well everyone has the ability to fight it but 99.99% lose been that way since the dawn of time .

[daveinri]

I agree that greed is the primary motivator for the 'typical' american. In my seldom humble opinion, we need to nurture and treasure compassion for each other. Caring for the earth on which we all live would naturally follow. BTW, we might be better off with a THC Party instead of a Tea Party.:jamguy::jamguy:

[busker4freedom]

the "it" is that we (americans) are going to have move from mass consumerism to a new way of life..ie: recycling on a huge scale,conservation and ecology awareness.
My question to you is:Do you think we can change as a people?

Been thinking a lot since the oil disaster about all the - basically - ADULT toys that use gas and oil...jet skis, off-road vehicles, and such...wondering what per centage of the total demand this amounts to.

Then my thoughts focused on things like skate-boarding as a competitive thing that involves MORE skill than driving a jet-ski, and YOU are naked to hurt if you f-up...oh the thrill of it...then there's snow boarding, and such that hardly existed 50 years ago.

So, the inventitiveness of the generations since the fifties keeps comign up with activity that isn't SO demanding on refined fossil fuels in order to have a great timer, both getting professionally good, and simply watching...

SO, the question becomes, can we who never got into gas-demand toys as leisure time/sport be creative enough to get the attention of motorheads, and help them enter the 21st century proudly, and with more excitement then ever?

It's like the old JAZZ song goes: AC-CEN-TU-ATE The Positive...

[Rionach aka Spec K]

Here in Ireland, you have to pay for plastic bags at the grocery store (something like .22 cents). Most people use canvas/cloth bags and all stores sell re-usable canvas and cloth bags for €1.00. Most stores will give you a box if you don't bring in your own bag, which is handy...especially for tourists who don't know about the bag levy.

Trash removal and recycling is very expensive here....which causes a lot of people to burn their trash. :plain: A lot of people make use of a compost pile, which is good - cuts down on their volume of trash and is good for the garden.

Public waste bins are far and few between - something I think is deplorable and needs to be rectified. In contrast, Spain has public waste bins and recycling bins everywhere....something I was very impressed with seeing. :thumbup:

[ricksvw]

I get "it" at Walmart, then it breaks and I get "it" again, gotta fill all the rooms in the McMansion.

Just kidding.

I feel that the collective consciousness is on to this. It is up to those that "know" what "it" is, we/they must help those that feel "it" but may not exactly know what "it" is. We all can move in a forward pace of evolution towards the good if we want it to be!

When it comes to trash...trash costs money no mater how you look at it, in Massachusettes where my In-laws live you pay for trash by the bag, you buy a trash bag from the town for 5 bucks, but recycling is free! Hmmmmm.