11-21-2017, 08:32 PM
Remember when radio controlled cars were a big deal? Xmas fliers were full of them. I remember one xmas season going into The Incredible Universe (big electronics store that soon after went under and Fry's moved into the space). The space has an interesting layout. There's a big main chamber with 30' ceilings and the store sprawls out from there. It can be hard to find your way out...
But this one season, in the big vaulted chamber was a TOWERING display of radio controller cars of all kinds. It was impressive. Not just a mountain - it was a mountain RANGE. It was no less than 20 feet high and very broad. The mountain probably would have filled an olympic sized swimming pool. Maybe two.
Then I ponder... how long until this stuff gets to a landfill? Not long I conclude. A good portion is gonna break in the first month. A lot will not see much use because the recipient isn't interested.
I'm reminded of my Rock'em Sock'em robots. I was the target age and was powerless against the saturday morning advertising bombardment. I HAD TO HAVE IT. I badgered my parents, they resisted, but I was crazed. They told me I would get borded with it - they were out of their MINDS! How could such an exciting thing EVER get boring.
It took less than a week. Me and my best buddy played with it for less than 3 hours total. Maybe less than 1.
Soooo... I'm looking at this mountain of radio cars and I'm thinking that every bit of this olympic sized swimming pool's worth of plastic and cardboard is going to be in my local landfill SOON. ALL OF IT.
Not only that, but similar mountains all over the area will be there soon too. Not to mention all of the other plastic, useless crap we will give each other. Not to mention all of the other normal garbage that will be collected. ON TOP of all of the stuff that has been collected in the past.
Where are we gonna put all of this crap?
I turned around and left.
That season, my sister gave me a silly gift - a battery powered dancing cactus that sings 'Feliz Navidad'. She thought it was funny. It was for five minutes - then what? A few weeks later while talking I mentioned my epiphany and gently asked her to not give me such gifts in the future.
I actually think about the gifts I give these days. Right up there with, 'will this person like it' is the question, 'will this end up in a landlfill too soon?'
No gifts are just fine. Once my sister in desperation of not being able to find a gift for me instead wrote a letter. In it she described in detail why I am special to her and why she loves me so much. What could be a better gift than that?
I still have it 20 years later - and even when it does end up in a landfill (because everything does), it will quickly degrade.
But this one season, in the big vaulted chamber was a TOWERING display of radio controller cars of all kinds. It was impressive. Not just a mountain - it was a mountain RANGE. It was no less than 20 feet high and very broad. The mountain probably would have filled an olympic sized swimming pool. Maybe two.
Then I ponder... how long until this stuff gets to a landfill? Not long I conclude. A good portion is gonna break in the first month. A lot will not see much use because the recipient isn't interested.
I'm reminded of my Rock'em Sock'em robots. I was the target age and was powerless against the saturday morning advertising bombardment. I HAD TO HAVE IT. I badgered my parents, they resisted, but I was crazed. They told me I would get borded with it - they were out of their MINDS! How could such an exciting thing EVER get boring.
It took less than a week. Me and my best buddy played with it for less than 3 hours total. Maybe less than 1.
Soooo... I'm looking at this mountain of radio cars and I'm thinking that every bit of this olympic sized swimming pool's worth of plastic and cardboard is going to be in my local landfill SOON. ALL OF IT.
Not only that, but similar mountains all over the area will be there soon too. Not to mention all of the other plastic, useless crap we will give each other. Not to mention all of the other normal garbage that will be collected. ON TOP of all of the stuff that has been collected in the past.
Where are we gonna put all of this crap?
I turned around and left.
That season, my sister gave me a silly gift - a battery powered dancing cactus that sings 'Feliz Navidad'. She thought it was funny. It was for five minutes - then what? A few weeks later while talking I mentioned my epiphany and gently asked her to not give me such gifts in the future.
I actually think about the gifts I give these days. Right up there with, 'will this person like it' is the question, 'will this end up in a landlfill too soon?'
No gifts are just fine. Once my sister in desperation of not being able to find a gift for me instead wrote a letter. In it she described in detail why I am special to her and why she loves me so much. What could be a better gift than that?
I still have it 20 years later - and even when it does end up in a landfill (because everything does), it will quickly degrade.
