Hi, great project! I love all these one-year conciousness-raising project.
I know, however, many people who, like me, have never owned a car, a TV, been vegetarian for decades, produce pretty nearly Zero Waste, bicycle or walk, garden to grow food.
Maybe not all these things all together, although in my case, they are done together.
Comment: Facebook, Twitter, blog, aren’t these things dependent on electronics, which are hardly non-impactful (see book ‘STUFF’ by a West Coast guy, from the ’90s, chapter on manufacturing of computers) and waste-free. As I am in touch with you this very minute, I am aware of this contradiction. Computers do have an impact, and a big one, on the Earth.
Marie
This post was submitted by Marie Roulleau.
Hanging all clothes on clothes line and in garage when raining
washing with the “quick” cycle, which is plenty good and uses only 8 gallons
bike to ALL errands within 1 mile from home (includes grocery)
use own bags only buy clothes 2nd hand grow some veges buy local eggs
Craigslist “free” ad for unwanted stuff NO AC–fans and trees instead
“When it’s yellow let it mellow” NO MEAT CASH ONLY–no plastic
lots of other little things, too
This post was submitted by kelley.
This winter I am growing lettuce and other greens in my south facing windows and under flourescent lights. This takes less energy than the growing and transportation of the ones in the store, there is no plastic wrapping, all it cost me was $5 for the seeds, they are organically grown, I can choose new and interesting varieties to try that they wouldn’t have at the store and my kids love to check and see how “their” plants are doing (they each chose something to plant). Most of all, I love growing things to feed my family. It makes me smile to see the green sprouts pushing through the dirt, and to be able to harvest a few leaves from each plant and put a truely fresh salad on the table.
This post was submitted by Megan Moss.
There’s lots of talk these days about eating less meat and dairy to reduce your carbon footprint. While I agree in principle, I think the focus is off. How many times have you had success making a life change when you focus on what you have to sacrifice?
I think it’s much better and easier to focus on adding in more “low carbon” foods to your diet. When you do so, the amount of meat and dairy you eat naturally goes down.
For example. instead of trying to force your family to eat lentil loaf once a week, try cutting all the meat portions in half, and serve them family style along with a whole bevy of side dishes. Start off dinner with a vegetarian soup. Have baked beans, squash, broccoli and potatoes with the chicken. Bake some whole grain muffins or biscuits. You’ll have much better luck getting the kids to try curried lentils & yams, if you just add it to the table as an additional side dish instead of telling them they have to eat this instead of their favorite meal. If you take this approach you’ll find that your family is eating much less meat in no time, and the response won’t be “how come I can’t have my ____” but rather “Wow! This is a feast!”
I started with this approach over 10 years ago, and now my diet is 90% vegan. I’ve never felt like I can’t eat something… I just have more options on the table (literally).
People often ask me if I’m a vegetarian, and I’m never quite sure what to respond. I eat meat on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and 2-3 other special meals per year. I use some milk, cheese and the occasional chicken broth in cooking, and I eat eggs or fish a few times per month.
It’s so much easier to make small changes that you can stick with and feel good about than to try to go “cold turkey” (no pun intended) and end up giving up.
This post was submitted by Rebecca.
Even though we live in a major city suburb, we have been choosing a lifestyle that is gradually becoming like homesteading.
This is now the second winter we have chosen to heat our (2500 sf) home with a wood stove, leaving the central heating off. We offer to take down dead trees from our neighborhood area for the price of keeping the wood, so our wood source is local. When burning, small fans help distribute the heat around our ranch-style house.
An added benefit of using a wood stove is that many styles have a flat top that allow for a pot to be set on top. We often use ours to heat the water to steam our vegetables for dinner.
Maybe the best part is the cold winter evenings when the whole family gathers around it to keep toasty. It’s the highest-quality time our family spends together.
This post was submitted by Ellen.
Hi!
I have started making my holiday cards and gifts. The cards are made from cardboard, leftover paper, giftwrap, magazines, pressed flowers and leaves, catalogues, etc. Corrogated cardboard makes adorable cut out shapes. Okay I already had some glue leftover from before No Impact Week 1 (thank goodness) as well as other craft supplies, so I am stoked. For gift ideas: cover stuff with papier maché: I have these old tupperware, cracked ceramic and take out plastic dishes which I am covering with papier maché and then with a non toxic water-based varnish after doing a cool collage with leftover crepe paper or tissue papers from last years gifts that I got. I also plan on painting a few and varnishing pressed flowers onto them.
Other ideas that have come to me that I plan on trying out:
-glass yogurt cups make into votive candle holders (the tissue paper or pressed leaves with varnish thing looks cool)
- plastic bags can be crocheted, knitted ot woven into very cool looking bags. I’m going to give it a try.
- leftover bits of wool can be made into pom poms, crocheted into flowers, or woven into “crazy” type scarves. I’ll have pictures soon!
- I would LOVE to hook a rug with leftover clothes, made into strip. Braided rugs are gorgeous too, but that might not be ready in time for Christmas!
- hand knitted scarves and hats for friends – I get wool from all sorts of people wanting to get rid of a skein here, a skein there.
- shoe stores in my neighborhood are thrilled to give away the boxes. Sturdy ones covered in a cool holiday colored collage make a great gift box to put homemade goods into.
Hope this gives someone an idea they haven’t had yet, and if they’ve got some for me, please post!!
Barbara
This post was submitted by Barbara Weber.
Two months ago my husband told me he wanted to do a four month experiment in buying no new plastic. We would start in January, and be as strict as possible. The idea was that we would do a massive cleansing of plastic from our addicted system and then be able to reintroduce it in healthier ways. Beyond going without condoms and baby wipes, we didn’t imagine making huge changes to our life–we still drive, use the lights, etc. We consider ourselves an ordinary family with a careless habit of buying pre-packaged food at Trader Joe’s. At first, I looked at the countdown to January first as a doomsday march. However would we get by? I considered sneaking extra tubes of lip balm and packages of diapers into the shopping cart each week to build up a supply for desperate times. But a funny thing happened. I saw all around me how easy it was to not use plastic. The abundance was startling and intoxicating. It made me want to do more, go further. I mean, have you ever really looked at what is available in the bulk food section of your local co-op? I hadn’t. It’s still two months from our experiments start date, but we’ve already reduced our plastic consumption by 85%. We also joined a CSA for the winter, something I’d never taken seriously before. What’s next, who can say. One thing I know: the good life is here to stay.
This post was submitted by Kyce.
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.
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.
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.