Collectively, small lifestyle changes can make a huge impact on the environment–and your life. Looking for happiness and health? What’s good for the environment is also, it turns out, great for you. Here’s a collection of tips from the No Impact community.
For about 15 years, I’ve returned to shopping (mostly) at thrift shops. I feel that it’s a political statement – no manufacturer will gain monetarily.
AND… the clothing and other items are cheaper.
This post was submitted by leslie radwan.
I have been line-drying the laundry for my family of 4 for over 3 months and I love it. Our weekly output averages about 10 loads a week (give or take a few). We live in an apartment building with a communal laundry room. I wash a load or two a night and hang the clothes up on lines easily strung with bungee cords at each end. Depending on the tempurature, the clothes are usually dry in the AM or by afternoon at the latest. Folding and sorting is much easier and if I can’t get to it right away, I don’t worry about a) either inconveniencing someone else in the laundry room by leaving my clothes unattended, or b) letting them wrinkle before I find time to fold.
Over all, I have saved $180 since September ‘09. I would like to estimate the global significance of not running a large capacity gas dryer (with a 30 minute run-time) 120 times since then…any idea?
Since making this life-style change, I have found that this process brings a new sense of pride and awareness to the laundry-chore. In fact, my kids would say it’s fun. I really think I save time doing it this way, but I can’t quantify it.
Next: investing in a handwashing machine!
This post was submitted by Ann Lane.
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.