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.
how did u get by w/out toilet paper? i have not bought tp for i don’t know how many yrs(10?). when i’m invited to go out to eat, i save napkins to use in place of tp. at work, i take the roll of tp that the janitor takes out & puts on the tp dispenser in order to make room for a new roll. this tp would otherwise end up in the trash cuz eventually it falls on the floor where it gets wet & dirty. i also pick up unused paper towels that i find on the floor. yes it sounds weird & gross, but i always make sure it’s clean. i still am curious as to how u got by w/out tp. also, did u use a composting toilet?
This post was submitted by mjt11860.
I am an american living in China. Can we talk??? Everything that destroys our earth is not caused by what our cars put out.. Have you lived in China?
Where I have lived here, Penglai, or visited, Beijing,Tianjin,Quindou, Shanghai, Hong Kong. I have never in my life seen such filth and distruction. Where are you getting your info? The Chinese government, a government who hasn’t told the truth to it’s people since the beginning of communist rule. The factories emmit so much crap into the air, in 30 days I only see the sky two, maybe three on a good month. It is so thick it is similar to fog. They get rid of all the left over from their factories and dump it in the oceans.. So when you sit at the beach you can smell it. If you want to sit at the beach.. Which is covered with garbage. People take dumps in the middle of the sand, they throw their trash any where, except in a trash can. They may not give off emmissions from vehicles, but take into account the government keeps them so poor that all they can afford is to ride a bike. If they do have a car, they use it so much they will not walk down the street to go to a store any longer they drive their car. As things change and they start driving more (take into account that they have had so little for so long that it may take a while) they will be far more distructive with their vehicles then we are.
There are just a few things we see every day living in China. The smell of bleach in the water coming out of the factories is awful. Ask Korea and Japan how they feel about what pigs these people are. They care about NOTHING….
So when you look at Americans changing things, and trust me, I see nothing wrong with that. I live within your experiment every day, with the exception of electricity use. We don’t use ac we don’t use heat.. we use very little water. We buy our food for the day, every day. We have a refrigerator now.. a small one like the college kids use.
So… although I appreciate your walks up the stairs and all you gave up for a WHOLE year. Remember, you are reading something that someone wrote and wanted you to believe… This whole world is hurting.. and to specify the need in one country rather then another is irresponsible at best.
This post was submitted by Michelle Kisamore.
1. Change to new bulbs. 2. Turn off all lights except the one you are using. 3. Shut doors and windows when heating and cooling your home. 4. Turn off water except when actually using it. Use only what you need. 5. Check your utility bills to see if you have used less than last month or simular season. 6. Try harder. 7. Teach younger children to do the same.
This post was submitted by Rosemary Thompson.
I love that so many people are talking about composting.
I take that one step further. After washing my vegetables well I save all my carrot scapings, onion skins, asparagus ends,lettuce scraps and other would be waste in a large container in the freezer. When the container is full I put it all in a stockpot on the top of my woodstove overnight,a crock pot would work for those who don’t have a woodstove. In the morning I strain it and have free vegetable broth.THEN I compost the vegetable mush.
I also keep a container in the freezer for chicken bones, skins and left over meat and do the same but do not compost that after cooking.
This post was submitted by gail.
I’ve been washing laundry by hand and air drying for 8 years now. I started because of a shortage of funds but now I prefer it. I was able to buy used drying racks at yard sales, and place them on my deck on weekends. During inclement weather, I plan things out a bit more, washing only what will be needed and drying it in the the bathtub. A portable hanger rack does the trick here, but the racks can also be moved into the bathtub.
One tends to learn what the clothes will do. Some fabrics dry rapidly, some slowly, and so choices are made based on those criterion.
I’ve also washed bedding, but I’m not allowed a full on laundry line so these are best handled in the washing machine or dryer. Still, on a sunny day with low humidity, sheets and bedding can be supported by sundry items; you end up with something that smells wonderful.
This post was submitted by Joan.