Reply #9: I grew up in a different time, optimism was the prevailing attitude

[txlibdem]

My high school social studies teacher told the class that the American worker was increasing productivity so much that we will soon have a 4 day work week and probably not be allowed to work more than 6 hours a day. Am I bitter that the rich have stolen that lifestyle from us? You betcha ;-)

But the optimism programming still stuck and I've personally seen (in my 50 years) such great improvement. My sister almost died from whooping cough (Pertussis) and now kids are vaccinated against it. Before my time but Tuberculosis is no longer a killer, having been practically eradicated in almost all parts of the world. There is so much more to do but I see the improvements more than the isolated cases of our failings.

The waste that we can fairly inexpensively eliminate (or at least drastically reduce) is glaring. I've written the few examples that stick out in my mind on a number of occasions and I know for a fact that there are intelligent people in manufacturing, housing, etc., who could think up dozens more areas where we needlessly waste energy and make use of renewable energy in ways that I could never imagine.