Also, a factor in prosperity was that unions still had power. That was before "Right to Work" laws.

@dahermit Yep.

Got to agree there. Same as UK with the Thatcher dismantling machine. End of unions and birth of digital age and societal isolation.

My father was a Chemistry teacher, so I was kept up to date on things like global warming, starvation, overpopulation, etc. However I do understand that the majority of the people never heard of it.

@kiramea I was a kid....on a farm in the middle of nowhere....turned 13 in 1979....so, yeah, wasn't on the news and wasn't taught in school.

I have a pet rock. I won it from a radio station (KRGI) when I was in High School. I still have that pet rock. It's gone just about every place with me. That's a lotta miles.

@HippieChick58 that is so cool! Wish I would have saved mine and kept my mood ring too.. :/

I was 12 in 1970 and I already had baggage

A full oz of truly righteous smoke was available for $40. I don't recall ever being without.
Now? Not so much.
Haven't indulged since Christmas when my niece was here from NC.

@HippieChick58 You, you... Okay. My grandma warned me about girls like you!

@HippieChick58, @KKGator And in P.R. to be $40.00 had to be really good. Smoke once this century, with my daughter. I was not impressed. I will smoke again next century. Shit now days can't measure up. Even Heroin is a Major Killer now days. Back in my days was Dangerous and Stupid (keeping me out of it) but didn't killed you like today it does.

@Akfishlady Your dad dumped five quarts of oil. Do you realize that when they pave a road that they dump tanker truck after tanker truck of crude on the ground for miles and miles and then fine people for dumping their used motor oil? Do you think that that even compares? How about when they hot tar a roof on a huge shopping center? Do you think the same chemicals aren't getting in the water system? Do you think the amount of regulated chemicals being produced and used today is less than the unregulated chemicals that were being used in the 70's with almost everything being made of plastic instead of using steel, glass and wood? I really don't see your point especially when it comes to an individual homeowners land. Can't collect rain water, can't build a shed, can't have a garden instead of a lawn in your front yard, can't put up a small wind turbine or solar panels. Can't save an old vehicle to use as parts to fix or build something instead of buying new. My neighbors new Ford truck gets 14mpg. My 68 gets 17. All these laws and regulations are about money, not saving the planet.

@Akfishlady Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas pumps all their unwanted waste from producing all kinds of plastic, chlorine, benzene, acetone, zylene and every other chemical known to man into salt domes underground as if a salt barrier is going to stop the waste from getting into the groundwater or the ocean. For 17 years I got a disclaimer with my waterbill warning me of the poisonous amount of chlorine and arsenic in the city water. In Gunnison, Colorado the trucked radioactive dirt from the closed down uranium mine every day for years in a constant convoy of dumptrucks to a undisclosed location in their clean up effort spreading radioactive dust for hundred of miles to another location where it would be safe. Like moving it and putting it somewhere else wasn't polluting another place on earth and everywhere in between. More laws and bureaucracy is not solving anything fishlady.

@Akfishlady They got rid of lead and replaced it with isocyanates and other chemicals. It makes no difference. The only difference is it cost the average Joe more, we have to work harder to survive and have less personal freedom while the corporations still get to do whatever they want and pollute all they want. There are literally thousands of refineries and chemical plants in the Houston area and only a handful of EPA personnel watching over them. When they do catch a company making an air violation or water or ground the company gets a $10,000 fine. Whoohoo! Ten grand to a company that made 700 million today and is making record breaking profits every year consecutively. Meanwhile they put Joe blow the hand made surfboard maker building surfboards in his garage in jail for a year and a half and fine him the same ten thousand for dumping a gallon of used acetone made by BASF in his back yard because his treehugging neighbor called the cops on him. Meanwhile the CEO of BASF makes 20 million that year.

@Akfishlady Quit trying to tell me things are better than in the 70's in any way because of more laws and regulations. They are not.

@Akfishlady Who do you think writes the laws? Your congressman? SMFH.

@Akfishlady How about you try and quit defending the worthless government and being a bootlicker and ill try to quit being rude.

@Akfishlady Im sorry, I have a real hard time when people defend laws, regulations, or the government in anyway because it obvious to me that our best intrest or the best interest of this planet is their lowest priority. It's undeniable.

@Akfishlady And by the way, they took lead out of fuel which supposably improved air quality but now they put ethanol in fuel. They make ethanol out of corn. The pesticides they use to grow so much corn go directly into the groundwater, rivers and oceans. Polluting way more than lead ever did. The people and planet have gained nothing good, only bad.

@Akfishlady You live in Alaska and obviously love fish. Guess what? The people making all the laws and regulations are making sure there are not going to be any more fish in 100 years. You can work your ass off to buy fish meat that is genetically grown in a labratory with no bones or guts or brain by them if you want to eat fish. Or something that taste like fish. No actual fish involved. Keep supporting more laws and regulations. The more you support them the quicker it will hapen.

@Akfishlady I'll close with two things. 1984 and Soylent Green. They are both becoming reality.

When my girls were in HS 10 years ago they were showing car accident videos. There was a horrible tragic accident just a few miles from the HS that my oldest went to, the cop who was first on the scene showed pictures and talked about the accident to driver's ed classes. Very sobering for those kids.

@HippieChick58 ah I'm so glad to know they still exist somewhere. I asked if they do that up here and was told emphatically no.
I recall them vividly!