Dear environmentalists..?

electric bikes yorkshire image

Steven lis

Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in âOurâ day. So what did we have back thenâ¦? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the shop. The shop sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery shop and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two streets. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we 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 (remember them?), not a screen the size of a cinema. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then. We drank from the tap when we were thirsty instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we 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 chippy. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Answer
We are from the same generation and I do see where you are coming from but your arguments are naiive in the extreme because they miss the obvious evidence that we raped the earth of its resources and filled the rivers and air with pollution in exactly the same way as the Chinese are doing now.

I remember in the 1960's living in Leeds (a British Industrial City)
The filth in the atmosphere that filled my nose with black soot when the winter fogs came down
The River Aire running throught the city that stank to high hell and didn't have a single fish in it The locals knew that nobody ever drowned in that river - you dissolved first!
The buildings of what was once light cream Yorkshire sandstone that were black.

I still live in Leeds - the air is clean and so is the Aire (!) - it is now full of fish. The buildings were cleaned and are still pristine.

Yes there are some things that you highlight that we did better but there was a whole lot more that we screwed up big time!

Christmas gifts for a 12 year old?

I am 12 years old and I am stuck on what to get for christmas, I am a tom boy (chavvii..a bit) kind of girl. . This is what I have so far:
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic
Miss April Playboy necklace.
Hair straitners
Twilight on DVD
My World (Justin Biebers Album)
Gel Pens and notepads (I do a lot of writing)
Illuminous Clothing
Make up
Money
Black Boots (Heels)
Ugg boots
Perfume.
I know it is a lot but....
What else do I want????

Answer
Well i am thirteen so here are all the things i want!...
-Craft set for teenagers
-Mall giftcard
-The sanyo ingognito sprint phone
Razor electric scooter
-The Twighlight saga collection
-E.L.F makeup collection
-I-pod touch
-ITunes giftcards
-PC netbook laptop w/ windowsXP
-Target giftcard (for other little things)
-Reusable water bottel
-Tiffany and Co. silver heart necklass
-New bible
-Eau De Parfum gift set from victoria secret
-energizing body lotion (victoria secret)
-The pink spiders cd album
-Nintendo DSI
-An edible arrangment
-Lazor pointer
-Chocolate pretzels
-Black Northface
-Startbucks giftcard
-Lip gloss
-Tube socks
-Funky Pens/Pecils
Bath set from bath and body works
-Juicy couture perfume
-New trampoline
-Titans sweatshirt
-nice necklass and ring
-Every color of nailpolish
-Bit whitebord for doing scchool work
-V.S robe,pajamas, and slippers
-V.S black and gold sweat outfit
-Coach shoes and purse
-Electric razor with some good lotion
-Chocolate fountain
-Mani.Pedi
-Kitten and yorkshire terrier
-New Bare minerals makeup
-New bike
-Nice shampoo/conditionar
-Nice jewelery
-Makeup box
-Sephora deluxe fragrance sampler
- cookbook along with funny apron
-hello kitty necklass
-The worlds largest gummy bear (but its 12,600 calores :/)
-Massage
-Foot spa
-Money

And yeah theres some other things i want haha..
HOPE I HELPED! :)
Happy holidays!

Oh and P.S- Yoiur kinda retatded for asking for a playboy necklass! :)

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