Comments on: Household Hazardous Waste? Grass Roots Action…Do It! http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/household-hazardous-waste-grass-roots-actiondo-it/ Commentary and essays on Environment, Outdoors, Recreation, Life Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:51:16 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Dougsplace http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/household-hazardous-waste-grass-roots-actiondo-it/#comment-39 Dougsplace Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:13:07 +0000 http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/?p=23#comment-39 Sometimes I wish I had drank the Kool-Aid. What I want to do is generate discussion and you are absolutely correct...why does anyone buy batteries? Aside from powering the gadgets that clutter our lives with interuption and although a few gadgets may actually be beneficial to our lives, for the most part we would be just as happy as a species without these gadgets...no matter if they ran on pure air! I was in a school where they did a "battery drive" to make sure spent batteries were getting recycled. Teachers and kids were so proud that they got a lot! and even more proud the more that came in...all I could think was holy @#$%! thats a lot of freekin batteries, the community should be ashamed! Never once in during the battery drive did I hear anyone say "can anyone see a problem here?" As a supply teacher in the class that spearheaded the movement, I asked them "what do all these batteries say about our lifestyle?" I got answers like. "If we all work together we can accomplish a lot!" and "That we are really making a difference!" and some blank stares! Not one person voiced that maybe we've got too much damn stuff! I said to them, "imagine if you scoured the neighbourhood and couldn't find any! What would that say?"...silence and blankness followed! Now I had them really lost so I just said "Wouldn't it be better if we didn't use any batteries...or at least used a lot less!" We had a short discussion about what gizmos people thought they could live without...but the kids didn't know how society would function without cell phones, Mp3 players, Nintendos, cordless phones or remotes...not to mention stuff I can't remember at the moment. So thanks for your comment atomcat. I will look up Cloak of Green! I have been aware of "green washing" and "green marketing facades" for some time. I do know about the rich and filthy few who largely control our destiny. All I can say is to be true to yourself, don't give up and be careful from whom you take Kool-aid. Sometimes I wish I had drank the Kool-Aid. What I want to do is generate discussion and you are absolutely correct…why does anyone buy batteries? Aside from powering the gadgets that clutter our lives with interuption and although a few gadgets may actually be beneficial to our lives, for the most part we would be just as happy as a species without these gadgets…no matter if they ran on pure air!
I was in a school where they did a “battery drive” to make sure spent batteries were getting recycled. Teachers and kids were so proud that they got a lot! and even more proud the more that came in…all I could think was holy @#$%! thats a lot of freekin batteries, the community should be ashamed! Never once in during the battery drive did I hear anyone say “can anyone see a problem here?” As a supply teacher in the class that spearheaded the movement, I asked them “what do all these batteries say about our lifestyle?” I got answers like. “If we all work together we can accomplish a lot!” and “That we are really making a difference!” and some blank stares! Not one person voiced that maybe we’ve got too much damn stuff! I said to them, “imagine if you scoured the neighbourhood and couldn’t find any! What would that say?”…silence and blankness followed! Now I had them really lost so I just said “Wouldn’t it be better if we didn’t use any batteries…or at least used a lot less!”
We had a short discussion about what gizmos people thought they could live without…but the kids didn’t know how society would function without cell phones, Mp3 players, Nintendos, cordless phones or remotes…not to mention stuff I can’t remember at the moment. So thanks for your comment atomcat. I will look up Cloak of Green! I have been aware of “green washing” and “green marketing facades” for some time. I do know about the rich and filthy few who largely control our destiny. All I can say is to be true to yourself, don’t give up and be careful from whom you take Kool-aid.

]]> By: atomcat http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/household-hazardous-waste-grass-roots-actiondo-it/#comment-38 atomcat Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:43:50 +0000 http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/?p=23#comment-38 Why do you buy batteries or anything else for that matter. I have always had the greatest respect for the environment. Unfortunately, it sounds like you drank the Kool-Aid Take some time and read Cloak of Green by Elaine DeWar. Why do you buy batteries or anything else for that matter.

I have always had the greatest respect for the environment.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you drank the Kool-Aid

Take some time and read Cloak of Green by Elaine DeWar.

]]> By: Chris Moran http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/household-hazardous-waste-grass-roots-actiondo-it/#comment-12 Chris Moran Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:05:11 +0000 http://dougsplace.wordpress.com/?p=23#comment-12 Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you. Chris Moran Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.

Chris Moran

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