Made in the USA?

What if the environmentalists, greenies, sustainable eaters and tree-huggers got serious about "made in the USA" while they are saving the world?  These examples are for a very small town.  Here at Lakeside we have an active, but growing group called LESS, Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society which sponsors programs on improving the community's impact on the environment and makes recommendations.  Some of their ideas are good, some not so good. Our Chautauqua seminars have a strong environmental component.

Today I paid $80.00 for three books about Ohio birds and wildlife.  They are wonderful books, I like the author (who lives near me), and they are a terrific asset to my collection, but all were printed in China.  We have a terrific farmer's market in Lakeside--the Association sells green canvass type shopping bags with its logo, made in China, of course.  There is a big push on here to change to CFL electric bulbs--to use less electricity.  However, most brands are made in China and we still have no really safe way to dispose of them.

 The not so good are the required huge bright blue recyclable containers which sit in the street sometimes for 48 hours, and even when put away are an eyesore. Because many of the cottages are rented, and these containers are only picked up on Friday, someone leaving on Sunday or Monday will roll them to the street to wait several days for pick up, and then there's no one around to put them away.  Sometimes on my Sunday morning walk I may roll 5 or 6 of these containers back to the house or drive-way. Because of our tiny lots, there really is no way to hide them.