Some of the great conveniences of modern life have been with us for a century now, ranging from early plastics to some of the home conveniences we now couldn't live without.

Bakelite, the precursor to modern plastics, was invented in 1907 and quickly found a place in the life of the young century. It discovered an amazing demand in such things as telephone bodies, cutlery handles, radio knobs, jewelry and billiard balls. It replaced a range of natural materials, including wood, metal and ceramics. The name comes not from the manufacturing process but from the name of the inventor, Leo Baekeland.

In the same year, the Thor electric clothes washer was introduced.

In 1907, Scott Paper launched a new industry with the release of disposable paper towels. They were called Sani-Towels and were advertised as a way to prevent the spread of colds.

The electric vacuum cleaner was invented in 1907 by James Spangler, who was convinced his dusty carpet sweeper was giving him a cough. It was patented the next year and evolved into the amazingly successful Hoover.

It's not surprising, perhaps, that two of the four examples, paper towels and the vacuum, found their impetus in health concerns. Some would argue that the electric washer falls in this category as well, easing the physical burden on subsequent generations of homemakers.

But each is also a convenience. It's easier and quicker to mold a shirt button than to carve one out of wood or pearl shell. Easier to vacuum the house and not have to clean up the debris with a dustpan.

Many of our modern conveniences also separate us in a certain way from reality. In the days when you had to heat the water for the wash, you wouldn't think of going to the trouble for just one or two shirts. With a home electric washer, it's so easy to simply toss in a skirt or a shirt, and not worry about the cost of the hot water, the electricity and the wear and tear on the machine.

If there's a message here for the environment in the new year, it's not to let convenience promote waste.

If you're going a block or two down the road to visit a neighbor or to get lunch, you'll probably save time and money by walking rather than getting to the car, driving to the site, looking for a parking place, feeding a meter, and driving back.

If you're not going to do the big things to improve the environment this year, at least do the easy things. The little things. Ones that represent small steps in the right direction.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.