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Grandson asked me why I bother, had to think about it for a while
My 16 year old grandson saw me lugging 8 bags of leaves to the compost bin and asked if one person's pile even matters when the whole grid is still burning coal. I told him about this old coal plant near my shop in Scranton that shut down last spring, and how my utility bill dropped 12% after they switched to solar. Is it getting easier to explain the point of individual effort to kids who see the big picture failing?
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morgan4294h ago
Like you, I spent a good chunk of last fall explaining to my nephew why I bother sorting my recycling when the local dump still burns half of what comes in. I told him about the year I tracked my own trash, and yeah, it felt like trying to empty the ocean with a thimble. But then I realized my thimble at least keeps my own yard from turning into a landfill, which is more than his giant corporation of an uncle can say. I'm 57 and my back hurts from hauling those same eight bags, so maybe I'm just stubborn. Still, I figure if every old guy on my block does his little pile, that's a lot of leaves not choking the air. Worst case, my compost makes great tomatoes, and that's a win I can taste without waiting for the grid to fix itself.
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