15 Ways Your Grandparents Were More Sustainable Than You Are (Without Even Trying to be “Green”!)

Kathleen Prosperi-McClard
15 min readOct 6, 2020
Photo by Max Böhme on Unsplash

Full disclosure: At the ripe old age of 34 years old, I am technically a Millenial. I am proud to be part of a segment of the population that, for the most part, cares about the future of our beautiful planet. However, I am also a product of my dad, who was born during the Great Depression (in 1930), and my mom, who was born during the “Baby Boom” (in 1949), so I was raised with an appreciation for the people and practices that came before me. I hope that all people who read this, young and old, understand my perspective and re-assess a time period that, while passed, has the potential to provide hope and inspiration.

“Grandparents.” Who exactly am I talking about here? Depending on your age and the ages that your relatives had their children, it could mean something different for everyone reading this. How then can I make such a bold claim, without really knowing which generation I am talking about?

I’m obviously generalizing, so let’s not get too bent out of shape over the specifics. Your grandparents will have been a different age than mine were. Some of yours may still be living while mine are not. Some of yours may not even fit the stereotype that I am creating here. However, I hope you can take a step back and see my argument for what it is:

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Kathleen Prosperi-McClard

Travel junkie, based in Kane, PA with my hubby, Matt, and our two fur-babies, Gonzo and Camilla.