I recently came across a blog which chronicles a man’s journey on his quest to have no net environmental impact for one year. No Impact Man, his wife and young daughter, are four months into their “No Impact” experiment.
Some of the things they are doing include:
- avoid purchasing new products
- borrowing and renting wherever possible
- canceling magazine subscriptions
- eating locally grown foods
- refraining from using subways, trains, planes, cars and elevators
- finding replacements for throwaway items or throwaway packaging, including soap, shampoo, disposable pens, disposable razors and paper products - even toilet paper
Now I ask, is this really possible? I applaud his efforts to be “no impact” but I just don’t know how this can really work… I don’t know if I could personally live without toilet paper for a year. I have a hard time camping for 2 days as it is!
Anyway, No Impact Man has been getting a lot of press coverage recently - check out this NY Times article if you’re interested in reading more, or No Impact Man’s blog.
I too saw the article also found it very interesting. I quickly realized that if this is the future of environmentalism, the “movement” is doomed.
Let’s face facts. There is a reason that man has developed to the point where he can make and use toilet paper, among other personal hygiene products.
It seems that No Impact Man is eschewing the accoutrements of the modern lifestyle and it is more akin to someone who is Amish than someone who is an environmentalist. The fact that they don’t want to purchase new products, feel that visiting a restaurant is a sin that must be reported to the gurus in San Fran, and refuse to purchase anything beyonod 250 miles tells me that this is more than just environmentalism - it’s a rejection of the modern, consumerist culture. While that may sound good, the economic impacts would be severe if everyone chose to live this way. I see a future where we’re all huddled around the lucite candles for warmth.
Fortunately, few would want to give up their toilet paper - or their iPods. BTW, how does he have no impact when he clearly usess a computer to update his blog & write his book? Oh, and I bet he exhales dangerous greenhouse gases as well!
Perhaps this guy is some plant by the oil companies - demonstrating how unbearable and impossible a “no impact” lifestyle really is.
Interesting blog, btw!
Regards,
St Wendeler
Another Rovian Conspiracy
Hi, I found your blog via Google while searching for Stephen Colbert Entertainment and your post regarding live without toilet paper? at Things That Make You Go Green looks very interesting for me.
What happens in an emergency, when supplies are used up and food is more important than commodities e.g. toilet paper? Or say for kicks and giggles the Trucks stop rolling for some obviously far fetched and improbable reason and distribution takes a dump. What is an alternative for this particular human hygiene? What did we do before toilet paper. The Sears catalog should not be considered a good answer.