People engage to improve our own environment

I believe in the good in people. As the world faces the challenges of pollution of our living environment, caused by mankind itself, many people engage actively to help cleaning up and try to change the tide. There are many nice and encouraging examples.

Voluntary smaller of bigger groups of people use their spare time to pick up trash from the beaches and coasts of Norway. They are only able to cover a part of the many thousands of kilometers long coastal line from south to north, but these persons pick up tons and tons of garbage every year.

I think the trend started in Sweden. Plogging, a word made up by "plocka" (pick up) and "jogging", is bringing a bag with you as you run into the woods, and at the same time pick up garbage that you find on your way. Because you will be sure to find some. Everywhere.

In Alcalá de Henares, a city of a quarter of a million people, citizens demonstrated marching through the streets, to get a new solution when the local landfill was overfull, way over its capacity. The smell had become unbearable.

Many years ago already, the big oil spill by the tanker 'Prestige' in the sea outside Galicia struck a string in peoples consciousness as they saw birds covered in oil unable to move and pristine beaches all black in tar. From all over the country they went there to help clean up the beaches. That oil affected more than 2000 km of coastline from Portugal to France.

Recycling has become commonplace in cities and households all over Europe, from Spain to Norway. We see at home what we throw away, spend in packaging and how it splits into fractions of waste. That little thing, maybe symbolic and only helping to lighten our consciousness as we do something actively, is important though.

Consumers watching their spending of money tend to use low-cost garments, clothing that maybe does not last that long, but allows us to keep up with fashion and shift the wardrobe frequently. Not good to overspend earthly resources in the production of such, clearly, and there is a growing tendency to realize that. Therefore, second-hand garments are being discovered, and shops of vintage clothing gives a second life for clothes.

A similar thing happens with furniture. Used chairs, tables, sofas or bookshelves that look retro or have a distinct style from other periods or are simply timeless, they get their renaissance as we decorate our homes. The look of the past is a thing of today.

Fretex, the secondhand chain of outlet shops of the Salvation Army in Norway, have been in the game for more than a hundred years, since 1905. In recent decades, their shops really have become more attractive to consumers looking for clothing of furniture, and their inclusive policy of employing people who otherwise would have greater difficulties in finding a job adds just another social dimension to their great efforts to help improve the world.

Have you been to a flea-market lately? The 'loppemarked' is a nice spring tradition in many countries. So also in Norway, where many voluntary organisations, f.ex. music bands or sports clubs, organize such in order to get an extra income. To the rest of us, going there and to look for stuff, we are probably motivated by the chance of getting less costly stuff, but now also more, I think, the idea of reuse - instead of buying new stuff just because it has to be new, is also becoming an incentive.

Dog owners also care more about the mark the leave now. Some generations ago, they would take their dogs out for a walk, let them do their stuff, and then just leave it there. Now, at least in the cities, they would use that new kind of "doggy bag" and pick it up, to the benefits of everyone, especially the children playing on the ground...

Are we willing to pay more for less contaminating transport or personal cars or motorbikes, for example those propelled by electric of hybrid motors? Maybe not as much as it costs today.

Nevertheless, car-sharing concepts has become a trendy in the cities. And experts forecast that owning things will become less common than today. Renting will be more commonplace, especially with bigger items such as cars but even other kinds of appliances. When I was a kid, there was a company called Thorn. They offered TVs, video-players and stereos for rent in your home. Maybe this company was ahead of its time? Where is it today when renting like this is in the vogue?