Well darned if we haven't hit the wall.  We fill our recycling bins and march them out to the street.  Feel really "good" about ourselves because "we do our part".

But that's really what it's all about, isn't it?  Feeling good about yourself?

"Oh, I recyle, and I promote recycling in my workplace, so I'm really wonderful".  Uhhh - no, not really.  Darn.  It's a bummer to make you feel all bad and stuff, but the bottom line is that recycling just isn't cutting it, according to Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

"We've tried to recycle our way out of the environmental problem for the last 15 years. We've definitely increased recycling, but we're swimming against the tide," said DEQ waste prevention specialist David Allaway.

Golly.  You can't just recyle your way out of the "problem".  Who'd have thunkit?  DEQ now recommends drastic measures, like paying a bit more for stuff that lasts a lot longer. 

Wow.  Heavy thinking coming out of DEQ.  Your tax dollars pay these geniuses to come up with these impressive ideas - and not only do they get paid more than you likely do in any given year, you pay for benefits that exceed anything you can expect.

But the government's running a bit low on cash, so they really need to add a few minor taxes here and there.  You won't mind, will ya?