A Greener Confederacy

Given its lack of mineral resources for copper, lead, etc. it seems evident that the Confederacy would be very interested in early recycling programs and thus a potential birthplace for an early Green movement. How far would one go, if it exists at all, and does it accelerate the global Green movement in general?
 
It's more likely that similar to other societies that are struggling to industrialize and don't have much mineral resources, it'll lag in this area too. You can't get to eco utopia without building substantial wealth first.
 
It's more likely that similar to other societies that are struggling to industrialize and don't have much mineral resources, it'll lag in this area too. You can't get to eco utopia without building substantial wealth first.

I'm not arguing for an 'eco utopia' but more to see if national security reasoning might kick-start a green movement early
 
Given its lack of mineral resources for copper, lead, etc. it seems evident that the Confederacy would be very interested in early recycling programs and thus a potential birthplace for an early Green movement. How far would one go, if it exists at all, and does it accelerate the global Green movement in general?

Not seeing it. Are there any examples of poor green nations?
 
Probably not. Britain is in a completely different logistical and economic position than the Confederacy would be. The Confederacy is not going to exist in an economic vacuum. Particularly with its main export being highly dependent on very little protectionism.
 
It's worth noting that something like this did exist in the Confederacy during the harsh economic times of war - if you read diaries they were having to blend fabrics for uniforms, scrounge metal for bullet production, grind acorns up for make-do coffee etc.

But in general in the c19th people and societies were much more into recycling and reusing material than you might think. There were whole industries dedicated to it. See, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag-and-bone_man

But the problem is, for most of the c19th and some of the c20th recycling =/= green in our modern way of thinking about it. This is about industry - you scavenge those materials so they can be sold to the factory, not so that you can reduce waste for the environment as a whole.
 
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