No Impact Project » More Fun

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.

greener pets

Community Member — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:09:49 +0000

I have multiple dogs in the city and try to lessen the impact that they have on our environment. I buy poop-bags made of cornstarch that are biodegradable. I reuse their dogfood bags as garbage bags, and they work great because they do not leak. I use environmentally friendly shampoos on them. I re-stuff and re-squeak old toys, or buy balls made of recycled material (planetdog.com is a great resource). I use old pillows or packing peanuts to revitalize their beds. Any other tips on living greener with dogs would be much appreciated!

This post was submitted by janelle.

Train rules!

Community Member — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:54:41 +0000

I scrap the plane – and jump on the train! There are AT LEAST 10 reasons why it’s a no-brainer:
1 – The journey becomes a part of the holiday – rather than the hell you have to go through before getting there.
2 – Way less stressful than the airport / security checks / cramped space experience
3 – I meet locals on the way – they tell me about the land, the history, the way people live – livelier than any travel guide will ever make it
4 – I meet other travellers too, and everyone’s eager to share their tips
5 – Food is often better than in planes
6 – I can bring my own drinks
7 – Tickets often offer much more flexibility than air fares
8 – You can either study the landscape (bit more varied than clouds-clouds- and more clouds) or get lost in your thoughts staring at the horizon…
9 – If I need to work, I’m sure to have more time to use my phone and laptop (more and more trains have wifi on board)
10 – And, er… oh yes, the journey will usually account for 10x less carbon emissions than by air

Basically – it’s just way more fun!

A great place to start is the great British website http://www.seat61.com/ — lots of train options & tips for train travel anywhere in the world!

This post was submitted by Laurent.

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.

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.

The Great Garbage Challenge of 2010

Community Member — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:13:13 +0000

Hello Fellow No-Impacters!

Recent events have compelled me to attempt to produce no more than 100 gallons of garbage over the coming year. You can read the full story here: http://open.salon.com/blog/the_almighty_beckster/2010/01/01/the_great_garbage_challenge_of_2010

Would anyone care to join me in this little undertaking? I could use some moral support!

This post was submitted by Rebecca.

Pool to Pond

Community Member — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:13:09 +0000

Besides the elimination of all the toxic chemicals required of a swimming pool, there is also the lowering of electric bills where the constant running of the filters and auto-vacuums are concerned. I turned the gas-heated spa into a bio-filter and disconnected the gas line.

Not only has this saved time, effort and money, it has created a wonderful backyard habitat! The owls, herons, hawks, multiple small birds, raccoons, frogs, possum and other visitors (even a duck once!) are all so much happier with my pond that the chlorinated toxic dump we used to call a swimming pool.

One benefit I was surprised by was/is the more moderate temperatures in the back yard. On those 90+ degree FL days, my back yard is 5 degrees cool than the street! And when we get our rare freezes (as we will tonight) my yard will most likely remain warmer.

In short, more wildlife, no chemicals, more fun just watching the antics of birds and frogs, less money spent on electrical, gas heating and chemicals and way less back-breaking work! And yes, the water is crystal clear and safe for swimming!

This post was submitted by Heidi Marsh.