I’m eating what I have in the pantry before I buy anything new. As I have several boxes of pasta and cans of beans, the meals will be simple. I also discovered the New Leaf Natural Grocery which sells produce boxes from local farmers. I get my first box this week. My project now is to develop recipes so that I don’t waste anything!
This post was submitted by Carol Scally.
Thank you for posting my blog. In solidarity with the No Impact Project I have told my readers about you and also made a list of 12 things that I already live without to expand my focus of the blog! Here’s a link: http://ditchyourfridge.blogspot.com/2009/10/festive-12-days-list-of-what-to-ditch.html
I look forward to trying the No Impact Experiment!!
Peace,
Andrea
This post was submitted by Andrea Peloso.
So a few weeks ago I did the “no impact man” challage – well, some of it. I couldn’t NOT drive on the transportation day, and I also didn’t want to collect my trash for the week (um, hello carry around stinky diapers or cat poop?).
But I did monitor both the weeks prior and that week how much trash our family made, and I did monitor the use of appliances, and how to reuse items. I found by adding the compost bin, really being creative with other uses of items (any plastic bag if opened carefully can be used as “pooper scooper”) and just cutting out paper items completely our trash bin was 1/2 full as usual.
It’s hard work though – not something I could have done even a few months ago with a younger baby. I takes time to wash and re-use. It takes time to remember to unplug things. It takes time to buy organic. It takes time to find better diapers, litter, and things like that. And quite frankly, I like ordering pizza sometimes even though there is excess trash that way..
For me it wasn’t anything I didn’t already know about — as I said at the start of the week it was all about not being lazy. And if I am not lazy 70-80% of the time, that is a start. And if I inspired anyone else, bonus. Below is the information from the week and when the next week will be.
Alison
This post was submitted by Alison.
Last year I got rid of my car and now I commute to school on foot or bycycle.Also we look for ways to coserve energy and recycle everything we can.
This post was submitted by chris eddleman.
For people doing laundry for one person per week consider hanging your laundry to dry. Can easily be done in apartment and takes less than twelve hours max for results. Saves energy on electric drier and makes the apartment smell nice too. Sixty years ago my mother used to hang the laundry outside–and coined the term (to me, anyway) “The solar clothes drier.”
This post was submitted by Frederick Buchanan.
I have lived without a fridge for the last 3 years and write a blog about how to do this and related ideas. I also live without a car, tv, cell phone, microwave, dryer, makeup, hair dryer, freezer, dishwasher, … I live on about $3 of 100% renewable energy a month.
Its fun, easy, saves money, and is on the the beginning!!
Please come and visit my blog and add comments, questions, or further ideas.
This post was submitted by Andrea Peloso.
We have two young kids, ages 33 mos and 9 mos. We use cloth diapers on the baby, which we saved from the toddler. Some were handed down from other kids in the family even! I wash them at home instead of with a service and I line dry them. We use one disposable diaper per 24 hours, at night only on the baby. The toddler wears 100% cotton underwear while potty training instead of disposable underpants. We also use cloth wipes for diaper changes.
We use washcloths for kid cleanups, microfiber towels on the Swiffer WetJet that I refill with homemade cleaner. We grow our own produce, fertilized with manure from our chickens. We compost all food scraps and put meat scraps in the dog bowls to reduce their feed.
We replaced our 1933 home’s woodstove and baseboard heat with a heat pump, and plan on replacing single pane windows and roof in the next two years.
I bought an 8 passenger vehicle with 21 mpg so that we can carpool with family we socialize often with. I only drive as necessary and combine trips whenever possible.
This post was submitted by Jessi.
I have been participating in No Impact Week all week long, some days better than the others. Tuesday especially, as that was transportation day– I work 30 miles away and in Las Vegas, that’s like forever on a bike–if there was a safe route anyway. Because I live so far north, bus is also not an option, and this happened to be the first week of my girls starting day care and before-school programs. Lest to say that I went into Tuesday already feeling defeated.
I had been on the road going from my daughter’s daycare drop-off, when I stopped at a red light. I noticed the woman in front of me looking around, over her shoulder and in the rear view mirror. Then, to my surprise and half-disbelief, I watched open her door, and THROW OUT a yogurt cup and spoon—INTO THE ROAD! I could not believe this person had the nerve to look around to see if anyone was watching her and proceed to litter! Obviously, she knew it was wrong in the first place or she wouldn’t have tried to be so inconspicuous about it!
I was so angry about this that it took me about 30 seconds to decide what I was going to do next: I picked up my phone and called the police! When they answered, I explained to them that this was not a medical emergency, but that I was calling to report someone blatantly littering! I gave them the make, model, color, and license plate number on the car, and also a description of the woman and direction in which she was driving. Amazingly enough, the dispatcher acted very concerned and told me that they would send an officer in that direction right away.
I very much doubt that the police ever found this litterbug, unless they searched records and contacted her through mail, but regardless, something needs to be done! I see signs all the time that read, “Penalty of $500 to anyone littering or disposing of trash on road”, but who really does it– who calls these people in when it happens. ME! That’s right– call me a nark, or whistle blower, or whatever makes you guilty, trash-tossing haters feel better about yourselves, but I will call the police from now on whenever I see anyone littering the streets that I’m trying to keep clean!
Needless to say, after I called the police and made the report, I felt much better about my day. I may not have made a great example of my transportation goals for the day, but put up a point for me in the ‘less trash’ box- for me or someone else! Litterbugs beware– I might be following you the next time you toss your trash out the window and I will report it!
Thanks for a great week No Impact crusaders! Keep it going!
Abi Wright
Sierra Club Green Home
www.sierraclubgreenhome.com
This post was submitted by Abi.
When my husband and I moved to Los Angeles, we knew the city was extremely spread-out, it had a strongly entrenched driving culture and inadequate public transportation. Because my husband is the main bread-winner and his job was the main reason we relocated, we chose to live where he would have next to no commute. We rent an apartment 5 blocks from his office.
We walk to our health club, dentists and doctors. We buy most of our food from the farmers markets blocks away from us. If we eat out on special occasions like a birthday or anniversary, we take our business to a local restaurant we can walk to. I walk to the flower market to get my cats some wheat grass so they aren’t totally deprived of anything green. Though we do drive occasionally, we bought a second-hand car, a second-hand campervan (our version of vacations) and a second-hand motorcycle.
My husband has more time to relax. Walking is healthy. We tend to travel “slower” and look around at our surroundings more. We aren’t stressed or jaded by a long, tiring or aggravating commute. Driving is more enjoyable. We save on commuting costs and because I have carry everything home, I tend to shop carefully and wisely.
If someone reads this and counters that because they own their home and their job is far away, requiring a commute, then I would challenge them to find a way to overcome that obstacle. Selling may not be an option, but maybe they could rent their house out so they in turn could rent a place closer to where they work.
This post was submitted by Monique.
Improving one’s impact can be as much about what we don’t do, as what we do; and advocating for wider change.
Generally, I try not to use what I don’t need, use what I need wisely and purchase things made with good social, environmental and economic practices.
Here are some basic practices I’ve adopted over time, and that I continue to work to deepen and expand. These came about step by step, one after the other. Small steps add up if e do what we can and keep going.
• As above, buy few new items, buy mostly bulk foods, buy items in reusable, compostable, recyclable packaging; reuse/donate, compost, recycle
• Research companies’ social, environmental and economic practices, and buy from those with the best practices
• Use reusable versus disposable items – linens, mug, water bottle, etc.
• Eat only organic foods, almost all bulk/non-processed, preferentially local/regional, and virtually only grown in US, almost exclusively vegan
• Member of the organic CSA farm and volunteer there
• Grow some of my own food and preserve for winter
• Haven’t owned a car in 3 years, get around by bike, walking, carpooling, public transit, etc.
• Use 1,200-1,500 kWh elec per year in all-elec house: Use only CFLs, turn off water heater after shower, don’t use fridge when it’s cold out, switched out full size fridge for mini-fridge6
• Dishpans in all sinks to catch water and reuse on non-food plants and toilet tank
• Hand wash clothes with shower water and line dry
• Don’t get any junk mail, get paperless billing statements and pay bills online
• Use only biocompatible, organic/plant-based personal care/cleaning supplies
• Support causes I believe in with time and dollars
• Advocate for change – ask stores for more bulk items, let local recyclers know about opportunities to recycle additional materials, contact elected officials on policy decisions of concern, contact companies to ask for better practices, etc
• Thank companies with good practices and refer them to others
• Learn from others and educate via my own blog and freelance writing
This post was submitted by Melissa Schweisguth.