German Conveniences or What I Wish We Stupid Americans Would Do!
Now that I have been home from Germany for almost a week there are a few things about the country that I really miss. I've always thought that America (most specifically Kentucky) was the best place in the world, but lately I'm not so sure. We do a lot of things here in America that I'm honestly not too proud of.
First of all...our energy attainment and consumption. One of the things that most impressed me in Germany was the great use of Wind Energy. This is not a new phenomenon, nor is it an outdated one...it's just something that we in America do not use for some reason. I can't for the life of me figure out why. It's cleaner, more efficient, and the windmills are far more attractive than the big old transformer stations here in the states. In America we also have extremely HIGH energy bills and most people don't do anything to combat it. One of the conservation ideas that Tim and I have decided to use is drying our laundry outside. What ever happened to this notion? Why did we stop doing this? When did Americans decide that it's far better to use up tons of energy AND ruin their clothes in the process? I just consider this to be completely stupid on our part. I can remember when a common site in every neighborhood was backyard clothes lines with sheets flapping in the breeze. So, upon returning to the states (and getting my bearings) I went out and purchased some clothes drying racks for $10 a piece, some decent detergent, and a good fabric softener. Our clothes actually feel better, look better, fit better, and smell better. Duh!
This one is going to sound a little strange to most of you, but I don't care. Pay toilets. You got it. Why not? You're using water! You are dirtying up someones bathroom. Why not pay for it? We used these several times while in Germany and it wasn't at all bad. The toilet paper was nice, the facility was always clean, and it didn't stink. As Americans we have become so used to the idea that we DESERVE so much that we take things for granted...and in return our public facilities are NASTY!
Another observation is about fresh food products. Here in America we have all but lost the idea of fresh foods. By this I mean breads, cheeses, meats, and even produce. While in Germany we had some of the best of the above mentioned products and it took effort to get each of these things. I loved it! There are fewer fat people in Germany and I think is part of the reason. Not to mention that the people in Germany are generally more active (a HUGE part of it). So many people rode their bikes to get to work, the market, to visit friends, to enjoy the day, etc. This does go back to the energy consumption issue, but it is about food as well. You can't take a bunch of groceries home on a bike...can't be done. But you purchase what you need and that's it. What a great idea!
My final thoughts are about the use of trains. This was also very big in Germany. I know that a lot of people in the Northeast portion of the states have decent access to train service but those of us in the South do not. Why? What's wrong with them? They seem far more efficient to me. Even seeing lots of buses around here would be nice. Do you know I have not see a single public bus since moving to Shelbyville. Now that's just sad. Again, the American idea of car ownership is so twisted that we are ruining the land we live in (and most of us can't really afford to put gas in our cars anyhow).
I guess I'm telling you all this because I think that something should change. But how? What? When? Where? Does anyone know where to start? Or how to go about it? Any ideas can be posted here. In the mean time, I have laundry to hang outside.
First of all...our energy attainment and consumption. One of the things that most impressed me in Germany was the great use of Wind Energy. This is not a new phenomenon, nor is it an outdated one...it's just something that we in America do not use for some reason. I can't for the life of me figure out why. It's cleaner, more efficient, and the windmills are far more attractive than the big old transformer stations here in the states. In America we also have extremely HIGH energy bills and most people don't do anything to combat it. One of the conservation ideas that Tim and I have decided to use is drying our laundry outside. What ever happened to this notion? Why did we stop doing this? When did Americans decide that it's far better to use up tons of energy AND ruin their clothes in the process? I just consider this to be completely stupid on our part. I can remember when a common site in every neighborhood was backyard clothes lines with sheets flapping in the breeze. So, upon returning to the states (and getting my bearings) I went out and purchased some clothes drying racks for $10 a piece, some decent detergent, and a good fabric softener. Our clothes actually feel better, look better, fit better, and smell better. Duh!
This one is going to sound a little strange to most of you, but I don't care. Pay toilets. You got it. Why not? You're using water! You are dirtying up someones bathroom. Why not pay for it? We used these several times while in Germany and it wasn't at all bad. The toilet paper was nice, the facility was always clean, and it didn't stink. As Americans we have become so used to the idea that we DESERVE so much that we take things for granted...and in return our public facilities are NASTY!
Another observation is about fresh food products. Here in America we have all but lost the idea of fresh foods. By this I mean breads, cheeses, meats, and even produce. While in Germany we had some of the best of the above mentioned products and it took effort to get each of these things. I loved it! There are fewer fat people in Germany and I think is part of the reason. Not to mention that the people in Germany are generally more active (a HUGE part of it). So many people rode their bikes to get to work, the market, to visit friends, to enjoy the day, etc. This does go back to the energy consumption issue, but it is about food as well. You can't take a bunch of groceries home on a bike...can't be done. But you purchase what you need and that's it. What a great idea!
My final thoughts are about the use of trains. This was also very big in Germany. I know that a lot of people in the Northeast portion of the states have decent access to train service but those of us in the South do not. Why? What's wrong with them? They seem far more efficient to me. Even seeing lots of buses around here would be nice. Do you know I have not see a single public bus since moving to Shelbyville. Now that's just sad. Again, the American idea of car ownership is so twisted that we are ruining the land we live in (and most of us can't really afford to put gas in our cars anyhow).
I guess I'm telling you all this because I think that something should change. But how? What? When? Where? Does anyone know where to start? Or how to go about it? Any ideas can be posted here. In the mean time, I have laundry to hang outside.
posted by Cari Chase | 3:09 PM
1 Comments:
I have several friends who make their own bread daily. It's really not that hard-especially if you have a breadmaker, and it's well worth the taste! I don't do this, because of the time factor right now. But, I sure do love homemade bread. Also, there is a Kentucky cheese-maker, Kenny's cheese, that is excellent. It tastes so different from cheese from the store. We could go there sometime for a field trip, if you want!
If you haven't ever read "The Tightwad Gazette" books, I would suggest them. They have so many good ideas to save money and energy. You can get them from the library, I'm sure. I have two of the three books. Just FYI. I'm enjoying my dryer while I don't have to pay for utilities! But, the whole time I lived on my own with 6 other girls, our dryer was broken, so we hung up everything in our basement! I want a clothesline whereever we move-if we move! :) Kari
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