Green Fatigue, we all have a mild dose at this stage. I’ll do my bit, and I do know what my bit is, just lay off the Gestapo approach. We are all well aware of the principles of the thing by now. There are certain things that can be reused and recycled; it makes sense to use renewable resources wherever possible, the massive carbon output of certain processes is a very bad thing indeed. But leave it up to us to fill in the blanks.
I would be more worried about what happens the stuff after I religiously segregate it into its appropriately coloured bin. One week just after Christmas I was confused as to the rotation and left out both bins thinking they would just take the appropriate one. I came home to find both emptied, into the back of the same truck presumably. General rubbish and recyclables in one repulsive cocktail. Doesn’t inspire confidence now does it?
It’s just another case of unreasonable and unwarranted demands being lumped onto the little guy. Attacking medical card holders, special needs teachers and middle class families is seen by some as the solution to a mess created by corporate corruption and cronyism. Similarly I’m responsible for correcting the wrongs of short cutting chemical manufacturers and their complicit political buddies since the dawn of the industrial age. It has seemingly come down to whether I can be relied upon to put an empty orange juice carton into the correct receptacle to reverse a trend put in motion and expedited by every unscrupulous industrialist and his elected lapdogs the world over.
Now I’m not too petty to reject the task or to disagree with the science but don’t talk to me in that oh so patronising way as though the whole thing begins and ends with me. All the green bins in the universe won’t make the slightest difference if the boys in China or India can’t meet Kyoto targets. Talk tough with them. I’m doing my bit, I get the message. Consider me enlightened and leave me alone.
