I am not sure where you grew up, things may have been different there. Growing up in rural Central Texas, we raised our own vegetables and fruit, canned the same, raised rabbits and chickens, used a push mower, swung an axe, used actual shovels to move dirt and were required to walk whenever possible and at times my daily walk to school or the bus stop was about a mile. Most of the time it did not matter what the weather was, we were not getting a ride. We were not wealthy, but not poor either. Both of my parents were ex military, our groceries were cheap, but my parents were also were raised by people who did survive the depression and understood the value of being able to do for yourself. In our case, it was a conscious choice. It was the same for the vast majority of the people in our area. My parents chose the lifestyle and they were not alone, and this was the late 60's and 70's, not the 30's and 40's. Even in the 30's and the 40's a very large percentage of the population resided in the city and could not provide for themselves.
Far too many of the self proclaimed greenies consider it a badge of honor and a way to look down at others instead of a lifestyle choice. Owning a pollution causing Prius does not make someone green, it simply means they do not understand the amount of pollution associated with manufacturing their "green" car, the end does not justify the means. I take my hat off to those who are making their own soap, try and raise as much of their own food as possible, sacrifice most luxuries that many could not do without, cut their own timber for construction and heat, etc etc. Unfortunately it is a lifestyle that the vast majority would never even consider, even if they could figure out how to do it. I also take my hat off to those in this thread who have decided to go solar, yourself included. We did our solar well and panels not to be green, not to do the right thing for others but to do what was right for us and to ensure that no one would have control over our water and electricity. We did not do it to look down on anyone or to try and place ourselves above anyone else. My hope is that the majority of people who go down a similar path chose it for the same reasons.
Even if you don't consider them "green" because they had to live that lifestyle, it does not negate the fact that they were "green" and even back then the majority of our population was not green, they were city dwellers who depended on someone else to provide for them. Nothing has really changed, there are those who can and do and there those who cannot and will not. We are fortunate that the majority of the membership here is rural and is capable of doing for themselves. What we do not know we will ask and find out how to do.
I will gladly take any of that prime rib you do not want, I seem to be immune from the effects of a high fat diet.
