No Impact Project » Clearer Conscience

Go Fragrance-Free !

Community Member — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:12:57 +0000

I have created a website to educate people about the urgent need for fragrance-free living: www.ThinkBeforeYouStink.com. I have struggled with severe Chemical Sensitivities (also known as MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) for several years and my life has become very small because of it. I have had to leave my job, move in with family, and strictly minimize contact with friends and society. Many people are even worse off than I am and have been forced into complete social isolation and even homelessness by this disease. My goal with this website is to educate people about how serious of a condition this is, how prevalent it is, and yet how everyone has the ability to make positive changes in their life that would help those struggling with this condition. There are so many small changes you can make in your product choices that would make a huge difference to our world.

This post was submitted by Carrie Johnston.

transported in the cold

Community Member — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:11:17 +0000

Okay: after my carbon footprint grew to the size of Godzilla’s, traveling all over the world, I left Istambul and Africa and came to the third snowiest town in the continental U.S. No car. I have had colleagues and strangers get absolutely enraged because I have no car. The first time, I had a borrowed bicycle and then I left for Africa just as the first few weeks of snow began. I returned, when the weather went bad, I used a loamer car for a while until it broke down. Now–ta-dah!–I have investing in a battery assisted bike. Lots of hills here, but this thing allows me the extra boost to get up them (I am no spring chicken). This year I will either bike or walk to work. Though I use electricity to recharge my batteries, I am told I can get a solar recharger. That and some mushrooms and worms in the basement… (I save an amazing amount of money not having a car, by the way.)

Excelsior!

This post was submitted by bronwyn mills.

Share Farmer’s Market produce

Community Member — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:52:18 +0000

I go to the local farmer’s market regularly. Then I take fresh fruit and vegetables to potlucks, office parties, and small group gatherings. When you serve friends something healthy, not a bag of chips or a box of store-bought cookies, or something really fattening, it always draws attention.
Then I can share with others where I got the food, how colorful and how much fun it is to shop at farmer’s markets, how healthy the food is, and what it does to leave no impact on the environment. It’s a real joy.

This post was submitted by Kathy Eckert.

Plastic Bag Art

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:29:16 +0000

Did you ever think of plastic grocery bags as the main component in art making?

I tutor students in creating with recycled cast-offs, watching them become enthusiastic green artists, using plastic grocery bags and other recyclables to make delightful sculpture.

I challenge kids to discover the world of form and design through direct contact with nature. Together we become a band of explorers, discoverers, and detectives. As they learn about the environment and biodiversity they create what they would like to protect: hermit crab, otter, sea horse, egret, starfish and much more, all made with recycled plastic bags,newspaper and cereal box cardboard.

We experiment with whatever materials are collected and donated to our art center,utilizing items that would otherwise end up in landfills.

We find ways to use things that are safe and free but which our culture discards.

This post was submitted by Donna Iona Drozda.

Trying to be as green as we can.

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:28:51 +0000

We moved from our 4 bedroom home to a 550 sq. foot condo walking distance from work.
We sold our 1996 4 cylinder car and bought a Honda Civic hybrid.
We became vegan after watching the movie “Meat the Truth”. We have both lost weight and feel great.
We disabled our 10 mpg motorhome and permanently parked it and use it as a cottage 15 miles from town. This is saving us lots of money in insurance and gasoline.
We are avoiding plastic where possible in packaging and purchases. This is difficult.
We eat local organic when available.
We shop at the farmers market.
We shop for clothes at second hand shops first and buy new only if we can’t find what we want second hand. This does not include underwear.
We plan to only buy fabrics that will compost. Organic cotton still uses lots of water so hemp is the first choice.
We carefully buy shampoo, laundry detergent and cleaning products that do not contain phosphates or petrochemical products.

We travel more by train and less by plane. Trains are much nicer than airports and planes but don’t go everywhere we need to go.
This has improved our marriage and our quality of life. It is fun to be a team and work towards a goal of leaving a good space for the children of the planet to grow and thrive. It has also been good for our finances and we have made very good like minded friends.

This post was submitted by Erin and Bill.

Planetwalker

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:26:06 +0000

I am 31 years old and have never nor ever aspire to drive a vehicle, I have no intention of ever obtaining a drivers license. I use my own two legs, like a natural human.

This post was submitted by Rebecca.

White asphalting

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:23:10 +0000

The polar caps are melting away and the decrease in the albedo effect could be compensated for by governments and individuals by inverting the tarmac/asphalt colouring system. Thus, instead of using black top layers and white carriageway markings as is presently done, an opposite white-black application would increase the albedo effect the world over with a high average output of reflected rays which would not only compensate for the loss caused by the melting polar caps but also, generally, by making up for carbon emission increases into the atmosphere.

This post was submitted by Victor Cauchi.

diapers

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:20:05 +0000

buying brand new cloth diapers is not bad; but how about buying second hand cloth diapers? after use, from your baby or someone else’s, these diapers are ‘used’ – with a good wash (in a washing machine, with hot water!), they come out perfectly clean and sanitary.

This post was submitted by Anne.

spreading the news

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:19:32 +0000

I have started the first green newspaper in South Africa – featuring great examples of folk living and working greener with tips, solutions, inspiration and motivation for change. Have just joined your initiative and our family will do the no carbon week as soon as I’ve figured out how. Thank you for your great work – I would love to blog about my week, but suppose we’ll need a solar charger for a laptop or how else do I get the news out? We still use filthy coal fired electricity in our country…
greenings
Elma

This post was submitted by Elma.

365-Day Challenge

Community Member — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:18:01 +0000

Hi! I just wanted to say WOW – I am super inspired but what you have done and are continuing to do. I recently embarked on a 365-Day ‘Living With Less’ Challenge and I am also blogging about it. I can totally identify with all of the changes that you have identified as being side ‘benefits’ from such an undertaking. I am going to try to ‘rally’ some of my followers to subscribe to your one-week challenge and post their entries on my blog as well. BRAVO and keep up the amazing work!

This post was submitted by Maren Hasse.