Step back in time!

The focus of any environmentally conscious lifestyle is to lower your personal carbon footprint. To do that we need to stop and think “how is what I am doing impacting the earth?” and” how can I change?”. One of the ways is to step back in time and take heed to the lessons our grandparents and great grandparents learned during World War 2. During this time there was rationing, not just of food, but basic everyday items. During this time our families and communities rallied together making sure everyone had enough, and during this time people were healthier! Now however, everything they were doing throughout the wartime has seen a resurgence with the recession and the desire to become environmentally friendly. They didn’t have the solar energy, the hybrid cars or any of the new green technology advances we have today! What happened? They made do! Through the war an old adage came up that has had a resurgence in recent years, embraced by urban farmers and the environmentally conscious alike:

The full quote was “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without“, this is something that was always said in our house growing up in the 70′s – 80′s and I think is something that is definitely appropriate in the current climate. We can certainly learn lots of eco-friendly lessons from our elders, they went through the worst of times and made the most of it, yet everything they did they did was good for the environment.

• They grew their own food in their gardens, or community plots.
• They reused items continuously, clothing was hand me downs from siblings or family/friends.
• Cooking was done from scratch, no frozen meals, no prepackaged foods.
• Personal transport was limited due to petrol/gas shortages so public transport or plain walking was encouraged.
• Whatever you couldn’t personally reuse you bartered with so that items you needed in return were also previously used.

There were many more lessons during this time because during the war NOTHING was wasted. The supplies they did have were rationed so that they lasted longer so they required less. If we could time travel the people from the 1940′s to the present day they’d be amazed at the advances we’ve made but also I think a little shocked and appalled at the waste of the average household. Unfortunately after the war there was very much an attitude of “my kids won’t suffer like I did”, which has lead to obesity, manic consumerism and the destruction of our planet! Talk to your elders and learn the things they did, they’ll not only help your health, it will save you  money and it will help save the earth!

dalgal | My Bio & Articles