Recycling = Patriotism

Once upon a time it was a patriotic action to recycle things.

Boy Scouts distributed posters urging recycling during World War II - National Scouting Museum via National Archives

Once upon a time the nation’s future hinged on the ability of Americans to conserve resources and energy sources, especially gasoline.  So Americans, from the president to the lowliest boy, united to urge Americans to recycle rubber, metal, rags and paper.  It was the patriotic thing to do.

Make it do or do without - poster encouraging recycling and conservation for World War II

Did the recycling make significant contributions to the resources necessary to win the war?  A few argue that the value of the campaigns was uniting people toward a common goal.  But there were some clear connections between recycling of some products and the resources delivered to soldiers at the front that aided their fighting.

In the Pacific, Japan cut off U.S. access to rubber in Indochina.  Rubber from South America and Africa could be intercepted in shipping by German u-boats.  Metal refining from ores required more energy than refining from scrap.  Although the U.S. entered the war as the world’s leading petroleum exporting nation, gasoline and Diesel fuel supplies were precious for airplanes, tanks and other machines directly supporting the troops.

Recycling was patriotic in every possible meaning of the word.

Is it really a news flash?  Recycling is still the patriotic thing to do.

Waster paper made the boxes in which blood plasma was shipped to battlefield hospitals and medics

So the anti-green drive against recycling, demonstrated by Green Hell, tells us that the campaign against environmental concern, against environmental protection, against Al Gore, and against Rachel Carson, is not in our national interest.

What the hell?  They’re pro-garbage? Who in the world pays for this campaign Milloy runs, Vladimir Putin?  Vlad the Impaler?

Digg: http://digg.com/d1toaH