4 ms·

As a child growing up in 1970s USA, I remember the vast amount of trash along our roads, city streets, parks and beaches. It was fairly common to see people thr

As a child growing up in 1970s USA, I remember the vast amount of trash along our roads, city streets, parks and beaches. It was fairly common to see people throw trash out of their car windows. What changed? I have never studied this, but I know we implemented large scale clean up projects, passed new laws and made a cultural shift in attitudes.

stefanfisk 8y ago
I also remember Sweden being like this until early/mid 90s. The only real change AFAIK was peoples' attitudes, as a result of government campaigns. Hell, in the 60s you could watch wonderfully informational movies as this on the one and only available TV station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o. (skip to 1:15 for the recommended practise of waste removal near the ocean).
ataturk 8y ago
Where I live, the recent arrivals, let's call them "visitors" although cynically they are probably permanent residents now because our legislators treat them like they're more important than actual citizens. Anyhow, these newcomers seem to enjoy throwing trash out their car windows ALL THE TIME. I have witnessed it personally. Who the hell thinks it is okay to get fast food and then as soon as you're done eating in your car while driving, pitch it out the fucking window? It makes me fucking livid. My wife and I (and sometimes my kids) spend several sunny afternoons each year picking up bags of trash gathered from the streets around our home. I don't enjoy this work, but if nobody else is going to do it, I will. I refuse to live in a 3rd World dump and I'll do what I can to keep it from looking like that. But yeah, push us Americans a little harder. See what happens.
thaumasiotes 8y ago
What changed was the environmentalism movement, usually symbolized by the crying Indian commercial. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian >>>> My guess is it will take another generation for people there to appreciate how blessed they are to live in such surroundings but by then it will unfortunately be too late. This in the parent comment is strange. It wasn't too late everywhere else, and it obviously won't be too late in Vietnam either. A clean environment is a luxury you can afford when you're rich. Poor places are dirty, but it's not like they can't be cleaned.
- leejoramo 8y ago
  Yes, I should have included the rise of the environmental movement. And I came very close to including the crying American Indian ad, it was very impactful on me.
- ams6110 8y ago
  Yes, I was a kid in the 1970s and the anti-littering campaign was pervasive. I was too young to remember/notice the litter itself, but definitely remember the "Crying Indian" commercial, Woodsy Owl[1], and others. You always saw these in the Saturday morning cartoons, in particular. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl
maxxxxx 8y ago
Same in Germany. I remember piles of trash at almost every Autobahn stop and people burning piles of trash was normal. I think the willingness to keep the country clean is connected to prosperity. Only when the basic needs are met people care about the environment.

stefanfisk 8y ago

I also remember Sweden being like this until early/mid 90s. The only real change AFAIK was peoples' attitudes, as a result of government campaigns. Hell, in the 60s you could watch wonderfully informational movies as this on the one and only available TV station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcrX9Qaw2o. (skip to 1:15 for the recommended practise of waste removal near the ocean).

ataturk 8y ago

Where I live, the recent arrivals, let's call them "visitors" although cynically they are probably permanent residents now because our legislators treat them like they're more important than actual citizens. Anyhow, these newcomers seem to enjoy throwing trash out their car windows ALL THE TIME. I have witnessed it personally. Who the hell thinks it is okay to get fast food and then as soon as you're done eating in your car while driving, pitch it out the fucking window? It makes me fucking livid. My wife and I (and sometimes my kids) spend several sunny afternoons each year picking up bags of trash gathered from the streets around our home. I don't enjoy this work, but if nobody else is going to do it, I will. I refuse to live in a 3rd World dump and I'll do what I can to keep it from looking like that. But yeah, push us Americans a little harder. See what happens.

thaumasiotes 8y ago

What changed was the environmentalism movement, usually symbolized by the crying Indian commercial. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CryingIndian >>>> My guess is it will take another generation for people there to appreciate how blessed they are to live in such surroundings but by then it will unfortunately be too late. This in the parent comment is strange. It wasn't too late everywhere else, and it obviously won't be too late in Vietnam either. A clean environment is a luxury you can afford when you're rich. Poor places are dirty, but it's not like they can't be cleaned.

leejoramo 8y ago
Yes, I should have included the rise of the environmental movement. And I came very close to including the crying American Indian ad, it was very impactful on me.
ams6110 8y ago
Yes, I was a kid in the 1970s and the anti-littering campaign was pervasive. I was too young to remember/notice the litter itself, but definitely remember the "Crying Indian" commercial, Woodsy Owl[1], and others. You always saw these in the Saturday morning cartoons, in particular. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsy_Owl

maxxxxx 8y ago

Same in Germany. I remember piles of trash at almost every Autobahn stop and people burning piles of trash was normal. I think the willingness to keep the country clean is connected to prosperity. Only when the basic needs are met people care about the environment.