Should We Have Taken a Stand?

As I sit here on this glorious gloomy day, I’m trying to get through the reading. The main reason it is taking me forever is everything is making me think. This material makes me wonder what if… what if we would have taken a stand back in the 70’s when everyone was excited about recycling and it had been introduced to the education system and was a topic of conversation all the time. So what if we would have taken a stand. What I mean is, what if we had passed one of the proposed law/bills that put the work on the manufactures instead of other area. Everything has to be made; why don’t we go to the people that make stuff? We could possibly do that. While reading this idea in the book, I was thinking, this has already happened to one industry: tobacco (cigarettes at high price). Maybe not quite this angle but we could require less product and reductions of waste.

 

In addition to this idea to go back to manufacturers and have them rethink their production, I would like people to realize how important it is to educate. The book says by the end of the 1970's, education had developed a superb “don’t waste waste” campaign. What happened to it?! Why wasn’t my generation taught this? Education, especially elementary school, needs to emphasis sustainable future and make them create sustainable practices throughout schools. Why isn’t that a thing? I remember having milk cartons and reusable food trays. I got to high school and everything is styrofoam and has plastic wrapping. What the hell is that? I don’t understand why there a huge slack. And for those that think there isn’t, I’m a prime example of a person that grew up, loved the outdoors but I was never properly taught the logistics of recycling. What does that tell you, there isn’t enough knowledge to even begin shaping a powerful movement.