We’re back at Monochrome Madness 🙂 Welcome back, Leanne!
4 weeks ago we have had our last challenge. The last topic was ‘urban‘. Consequently, Leanne has chosen ‘country‘ for this challenge.
When looking back at my last post, you can see a very similar image. Both images are taken from the same balloon flight. Germany has a very long culture in cultivating the soil for growing food or for ranges (beside the high density of population). You won’t hardly find any area, where the nature is really natural. Wilderness is extremely rare. Every part of the land is formed by men for centuries. Even the forests are used for growing wood. During the last 40 years more and more people recognized, that we are driving in the wrong direction and overusing the natural resources. They started to think ecological and organized many, many demonstrations. More and more these ideas got into the minds of the common people. It was (and still is!) a long and hard process.
We now have quite strict laws protecting the environment. Air pollution by factories or cars, throwing waste or wastewater in the rivers, lakes or forests is under high punishment. Especially here in the Ruhr-Area we have had a huge problem with air pollution because of the high amount of steel plants, coke oven plants and coal and ore mines. Nearly everyone tries to reduce waste or at least tries to give the materials for recycling. The collected resources are paper, glass, clothes, metal, plastic, batteries or other electronic devices. You’d be surprised, how many different waste-bins we have at home and in public places for collecting the materials.
In the 1970s even private people got paid for bringing paper and glass (bottles) to collection stations. Nowadays, these (used) materials are still worth their money, but only the local governments and specialized dealers earn money with it. They set up big collecting boxed in the public and the common people bring the used bottles or paper here to throw it in.
I don’t want to go deeper into the recycling business, ’cause it’s Monochrome Madness today and not a lesson in ecological living. If anyone is interested in some more details, drop me a note. Maybe it could be the topic for a post on its own or I answer questions vial email.
Take care!
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