Another Wake-Up Call

AHHHH. I'm so sorry about the neglect. My lifestyle changes became a status quo and I had little to share. But this has changed! New information has come into my life and new inspiration has sprouted from it.

I posted about No Impact Man, the movie, but in a visit to a bookstore/cafe recently, I found No Impact Man, the book, on the shelf. Since I had read about a fourth of it in the store, I bought it and finished it within a few days. There is no doubt my love of this book springs, in part, from the fact that a reader like me is a member of author Colin Beavan's figurative choir. But the thing that I love most about this book is that, unlike many works so far in the environmental movement (say, An Inconvenient Truth or The End of Suburbia, neither of which I've seen but both of which I've heard plenty about), which just scare the shit and hope out of you, Beavan has the ability, through his experience, to combine scary, mind-blowing statistics with personal anecdotes, throwing in the occasional piece of religious or philosophical wisdom, namely about waste, want, etc. and ultimately leaving you with a sense that there is something you can do as an individual.

Sure, 80% of consumer products are made to be disposable, our country is set up so that most of us can't get by without a car, and there is little we can do directly about how our energy is generated/distributed/wasted, but individuals account for the majority of spending in this country. While each person can't take down the unsustainable status-quo on their own, if consumers as a group speak out against wasteful products with their wallets, industry will have no choice but to respond.

The trouble is hopelessness. Individuals feel that they cannot make a difference, government doesn't feel significant pressure to take action, and we all go on with our lives as normal as climatologists shit their pants in fear. What people need to understand is that doing things that are good for the environment is not about sacrifice. It's about changing habits, many of which have led to the deterioration of our health and happiness as a society. Television is one that Beavan tackles. Another is the food industry, which fills livestock with hormones that end up in our children and ships produce from across the world that could just as easily be grown regionally. The chemicals we put down the drain come back in our taps. There is so much more. Beavan shows us, as many have tried, that ultimately, it's not about the earth and environment. It's about people and our ability to live happily and healthily on this planet.

I'll stop with the preaching now, but I highly recommend picking up this book. I've already passed it on to someone and want to share it with as many people as I can. If you decide to buy it, I suggest you do the same. Ignorance is bliss, until we have to pay for abusing our planet and ourselves.

Some more good reading, from Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: Why Bother? at the New York Times.


So yes, from grandiose and global to puny and personal. I recently moved into my apartment at college, where the water is hard and my hair is responding to the change. Before coming back to school, my family moved into a house with a water softener and I took a few swims in a pool, so my hair was picture perfect. We'll see if I need to make any major changes to water-only.

I've started carrying around a handkerchief to use in place of tissues, paper towels, paper napkins, etc. I've found out where I can compost food scraps on campus, which given my fruit and vegetable consumption, will reduce my trash contributions significantly. I considered buying a growler at the local brewery, which can be refilled whenever you want. But unfortunately, the local brewery has closed down. But if you are a beer drinker and have a local brewery, see whether they have a similar option.

I've plugged my computer, router, and computer accessories into a power bar. If I'm not using the computer for anything, I shut it down and turn off the power bar. Leaving the lights off whenever I can get by with the natural light in my room is something else I'm trying.

Also, I'm thinking about buying some terry cloth and sewing some washable panty liners. While the prospect of using reusable pads alone is a little much for me to handle, when paired with a menstrual cup, the maintenance will likely be minimal. When I get around to the project, I will post details.

I'm part of this training program right now and our school's sustainability representative came in to talk to us. She asked us to think about and share an eco-confession and an eco-celebration. In my head, I considered the changes I've made in the last six months and can confidently say that the amount of shampoo, conditioner, and face wash I would have flushed into the waterways, the feminine products and packaging I've kept out of the trash, and the energy I've conserved–-though insignificant day-to-day--is considerable over time. I'm living as comfortably as I did in February and am filled with hope that there is more I can do. And remember, you (yes you) can make a difference. Take on changes one at a time and before you know it, your celebrations will outweigh confessions.