No Impact Man. Colin Beavan (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Colin Beavan decided to do an extreme environmental challenge, and his wife and little girl were included in the challenge. For one year (though they brought each challenge in in stages, so it wasn't the entire thing all year), they would try to produce no trash, eat sustainably, not buy new things (though second-hand was ok), live without electricity and more. He wanted to see what concessions might even make them happier.I am impressed! A lot of my friends think I'm extreme, but I wish I could do as much as Colin and Michelle did. Even Michelle, who grew up with money and loved to shop, seemed to get into most of it and even enjoy some of it. It seemed to bring them together as a family - with no tv, or even electricity, they talked more to each other and enjoyed each other's company. I do hope I can do more. Colin does stress that individuals can't do it all alone, though; companies, governments, and bigger organizations also need to help out; but it can start with individuals doing as much as they are willing to do. I became an environmentalist early in high school when I realized so many places on earth I adored were under attack from humanity. Around the same time, I came to the conclusion that my own carbon-spewing lifestyle was incongruous with my Thoreau-like attachment to nature. How could I espouse the importance of the natural environment when I was simultaneously destroying it with my carbon pollution? That's when I decided to do everything I could to alleviate my damage to the earth by using as little energy as possible and convincing my friends to do the same. I figured that if I was contributing to the destruction of the environment with my decisions to drive or leave a light on too long, by the same token, I could be part of the solution with every decision I make to reduce my energy usage. I mention this because that is the same process Colin Beavan went through as part of the writing of his fascinating book, "No Impact Man." Like myself, he did a great deal to reduce his environmental impact so that he would personally be responsible for no pollution, thus the title, "No Impact Man." He makes a convincing case that by living a more eco-friendly life, you will not only help the earth, but that you will also be a happier and healthier person. When you can't watch television or drive a car, you are compelled to spend more time with your friends and family and biking to work, two activities that are proven to make you happier and healthier, mentally and physically. The book is one part guide on how to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, two parts introspective screed on the unhappy nature of a carbon-intensive life. I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to life a more environmentally friendly life, and wants to become a happier person along the way.
What do You think about No Impact Man. Colin Beavan (2009)?
Quite pretentious I thought though I love the idea of the experiment. Sometimes I got the feeling as if I was being spoken to like I was stupid? Some good practical ideas but really the way he spoke about using his own bags to take to the store like it was his idea....people have been doing that for years...and clothe nappies?.....but maybe that's just a sign that the book has aged, or that I don't live in New York (or America) and that cultural norms are different I'm not sure but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that that's the case.
—roxysjeep
Unusual for me to give a 4 star for a book I liked. I liked the way the message came out, thorough the stories of the author and his wife. The message of saving the earth got a bit preachy and I was wanting him to get on with it...talk about his life. He did get to an interesting conclusion that is simple: That if you get off the treadmill you will enjoy more. More fulfillment, more time with family and friends, more realness to life. Good quick book.
—Hannah
