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.
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.
We grow veggies in the growning season, eat organic food, and try to buy locally as much as we can, use a clothesline in season, use ceiling fans on the few days it’s just too hot, use the library instead of buying books, (and usually walk to it) use reusable bags for shopping and wash them often, have pesticide and herbicide free garden and lawn, use rain barrel to water flowers and non edible plants.
But my question is this? I’m quite ill, and even though we bought a hybrid, still need to drive quite far to specialist. Too ill to use public transportation. Feel guilty about this, but what alternative is there for sick people like me?
This post was submitted by Dianne.
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.