Six Ways the Victorians Can Help us Save the Planet
Nota Bene: I understand that there are economic and logistical implications to living green. Not everyone can do this. Because of this, I want to go out of my way to specifically note simple, affordable ways to apply these concepts.
When it comes to technology, we tend to look forward rather than back. Oftentimes, this leads to creative bursts of genius, leaving behind old habits or traditions for newer, better ideas. This same philosophy, however, can sometimes blind us to perfectly viable solutions because of the stigma against everything old-fashioned. After all, how can it be progress if it comes from the past? Never mind that many of the technologies we take for granted today (cups, knives, stairs, or bread) are millennia old and still work perfectly well. So, why not look back just 200 years to see what the Victorians can teach us about living green and extending the life of our planet?
Of course, you might be thinking to yourself: what can a character from a Dickens novel teach me about life in the 21st century? These tight-laced prudes barely had a handle on germ theory, but they’re somehow going to tell me to do what? Recycle? Surprisingly, yes. While the Victorian era certainly had its problems, they did a pretty good job of balancing the growing demands of an industrial society with a strong philosophy of “waste not…
