6.14.2010

No Impact


Is that possible to lower our impact on the environment so much so that we could almost say we have no impact?

Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man tried to live with as little environmental impact as possible for one full year. He and his family bought nothing except locally grown food, travelled by foot or bike, unplugged from electricity and made no trash. The interesting part of it is that in the end, they discovered that not only they were doing something good for the planet but they were also living happier, healthier and richer.

He launched the No Impact Project to promote behavioral change, enable the public to experience their own No Impact Experiment and to engage people who are not already tree-hugging, bicycle-riding, canvas-bag-toting, eco-warriors.

I'm already doing quite a lot to live minimalistically and eco-consciously. The No Impact Project is something that is really calling me so I just signed up and am presently preparing to try the one-week carbon cleanse. I also made a list of steps I would like to take in the next weeks/months to lower my impact as much as possible. I'm not done yet but here's my list for now:

- Stop using:
  • plastic bags - completely, including packaging bags (bread, etc.) That implies making my own bread, etc.;
  • paper towels (rarely use them anyway), napkins (even in restaurant - will use a cloth that I take with me everywhere), tissues (I already sewed some nice little hankerchiefs) and toilet paper;
  • disposable dishes, cups, pens and other things that I don't think about right now but that are made for single use;
  • feminine hygiene disposable products;
  • shampoo (make my own)
  • toothpaste (make my own)
  • House cleaning products (make my own)
  • Dryer
  • Car, if I can use my bike (if distance permits and I don't need a car trunk!)

- Stop buying as much as possible anything that has packaging (biggest challenge I think)

- Buy second-hand clothing, bags, shoes, etc. unless I need an item impossible to find in second hand store.

- Stop going shopping when I get bored.

- Stop buying stuff that comes from more than 250 miles away from my town.

That's a bunch of stops, I know. But I see it as more freedom than more limits. A stop here means more money, more time, more consciousness and I believe more happiness somewhere else.

Would you like to join me, so we could share our experience? I'm sure it would be very motivating to create a No Impact team! So? Are you in?

3 comments:

Marie said...

ok go ! but still wanted my zamzam item...
reflexe de repondre en anglais...hihihi, je vais m'arreter là. en tout cas j'etais sur ma lancee, comme quoi ton article est motivant.
je vais attendre de recevoir ma commande zamzam pour arreter de consommer des produits qui viennent de loin...
j'ai deja pas mal de choses en commun avec ta liste dans mon quotidien, j'ajouterai cependant, entretenir un potager, ne pas avoir de tele, console de jeux, ou autres produits consommants de l'electricite et devoreur de temps, la recup du genre taille un vetement enfant dans une vieille chemise de papa, preferer les meubles en bois, meme a retapper ou redecorer, aux meubles moins solides, Allaiter plutot que biberonner...et faire partit d'un SEL, ce qui permet de demonnetariser bon nombre d'echange tout en rencontrant des gens sympas en general. Sans oublier aussi les reseaux freecycle (j'etais sur celui de Montreal, maintenant celui de par chez moi) il y en a dans beaucoup de lieu !
il reste cuisiner soit meme a partir de produits frais, plus le produit achete est transforme moins il est bon a la sante en plus !
c'est sur on se fait du bien a soi- meme en bout de compte, en arretant de se prendre pour une machine a consommer !

bonne fin de journee

Marie

voila pour quelques idees en desordre

Eva said...

Assalamu Alaikum. I came across your blog recently. This is an awesome idea! I am currently reading his book, and have seen the movie. :) I have started with baby steps and have done things in the past but I'd love to join a team to get more motivated :D

Arnold M said...

This iis great