World War II conservation posters

Library of Congress

Doing the Green Thing was a popular internet meme about how our parents and grandparents just naturally conserved resources. Being green was not a political divisively stance, but instead considered patriotic.

Library of Congress

That's something that is sorely missing in today's dialog with each other. I was recently at a graduation party and was looking for a recycling bin for my can, when someone next to me said they want to make a shirt that says F* Green. I thought it a really odd way of thinking, but the fact is, now simple conservation is considered a political statement. "Treehuggers" is thrown out as an insult. 

Library of Congress

And yet, when we travel back to the days of World War II, we learn that it was our patriotic duty to conserve all resources, including food, water, and fuel. We recycled and saved and reused scraps of any sort, including even fabric rags. Our citizens were encouraged through poster campaigns to grow their own food, can it, and save wherever possible.  

Being careful with resources was considered a matter of national pride. So as we approach Independence Day for 2013, Our Daily Green would like to encourage you to rekindle your patriotic history and think about ways you can show the world you're proud of your history and heritage in our nation.

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