Synopses & Reviews
A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasonsloving wife along for the ride. And thats just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one mans decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one yearwhile still living in New York Cityto see if its possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .
What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more eco-effective” and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths. Colin Beavan is the author of two previous books that have absolutely nothing to do with the environment: Fingerprints: The Murder Case That Launched Forensic Science and Operation Jedburgh: D-Day and Americas First Shadow War. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, and he posts regularly at www.noimpactman.com. He lives in New York City. When the guilt about his high-impact lifestyle finally got to Colin Beavan, he swore off plastic, went organic, became a bicycle fanatic, turned off his power, and devoted himself to saving the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe. The liberal New Yorker dragged his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasonsloving wife along for the ride. And thats just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one mans decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one yearwhile still living in New York Cityto see if its possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .
What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more eco-effective” and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths. "No Impact Man is a deeply honest and riveting account of the year in which Colin Beavan and his wife attempted to do what most of us would consider impossible. What might seem inconvenient to the point of absurdity instead teaches lessons that all of us need to learn. We as individuals can take action to address important social problems. One person can make a difference."Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat
Beavan pose[s] some serious questions: What can each of us do to improve the environment? How hard is it to change your lifestyle so that it's more sustainable over the long haul? To make a difference, do lifestyle changes have to be drastic? . . . In point of fact, a household can make changes that have a big planetary payoff without affecting the lifestyle at all . . . The plot line to this story is energy use and its connection to global warming.”Katherine Salant, The Washington Post
No Impact Man is a deeply honest and riveting account of the year in which Colin Beavan and his wife attempted to do what most of us would consider impossible. What might seem inconvenient to the point of absurdity instead teaches lessons that all of us need to learn. We as individuals can take action to address important social problems. One person can make a difference.”Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat
Colin Beavan has the disarming and uniquely remedial ability to make you laugh while he's making you feel like a swine, and what's more, to make you not only want to, but to actually do something, about it.”Norah Vincent, author of Voluntary Madness
There's something of Thoreau in Colin Beavan's great projectbut a fully engaged, connected, and right-this-minute helpful version. It's a moment when we need to have as little impact in our own lives as possibleand as much impact in our political lives as we can possibly muster. Beavan shows how!”Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy
"No Impact Man is a subversive book--not because it preaches a radical environmental agenda, but because it gives the secret to personal rebellion against the bitterness of a man's own compromises."Arthur Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness
"The No Impact Experiment changed Colin Beavan and reading No Impact Man will change you."Annie Leonard, creator of "The Story of Stuff"
From their first baby steps (no takeout) to their giant leap (no toilet paper), the Beavans experiment in ecological responsibility was a daunting escapade in going green . . . So fervent as to make Al Gore look like a profligate wastrel, Beavans commitment to the cause is, nonetheless, infectiously inspiring and uproariously entertaining.”Booklist
With thorough research, Beavan updates his blog with convincing statistical evidence, while discovering new ways to reduce consumption and his familys environmental footprint . . . An inspiring, persuasive argument that individuals are not helpless in the battle against environmental degradation and global warming.”Kirkus Reviews
"Beavan captures his own shortcomings with candor and wit and offers surprising revelations . . . [Readers] will mull over his thought-provoking reflections and hopefully reconsider their own lifestyles."Publishers Weekly
Review
"Beavan's commitment to the cause is...infectiously inspiring and uproariously entertaining." Booklist
Review
"An inspiring, persuasive argument that individuals are not helpless in the battle against environmental degradation and global warming." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons-loving wife along for the ride. And that's just the beginning.
Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year — while still living in New York City — to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .
What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log?
These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more eco-effective and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
Synopsis
What does it really take to live eco-effectively? For one year, Colin Beavan swore off plastic and toxins, turned off his electricity, went organic, became a bicycle nut, and tried to save the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his young daughter and his Prada-wearing wife along for the ride. Together they attempted to make zero impact on the environment while living right in the heart of Manhattan, and this is the sensational, funny, and consciousness-raising story of how they did it. With No Impact Man, Beavan found that no-impact living is worthwhile--and richer, fuller, and more satisfying in the bargain.
Synopsis
A guilty liberal swears off plastic, goes organic, and becomes a tree-hugging lunatic—while dragging his baby and Prada-wearing wife along for the ride.
Synopsis
A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons-loving wife along for the ride. And thats just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one armchair liberals decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year—while still living in New York City—and see if its possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .
What would it be like to try to live a no impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more fun or less fun? More satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more “eco-effective” and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
About the Author
Colin Beavan is the author of Fingerprints: The Origins of Crime Detection and the Murder Case That Launched Forensic Science. He has written for Esquire, the Atlantic Monthly, Men's Journal, Wired, and many other national magazines.
Reading Group Guide
1. At the beginning of the No Impact experiment, Colin Beavan asks, “Is it true that a guy like me cant make a difference? Or am I just too lazy or frightened to try?” What answers to these questions did he come up with by the end of the book? Which of the familys actions made the most significant impact?
2. Beavans experiment took green living to an extreme. If you were to choose just a few of his actions to implement in your own life, what would they be? Which conveniences or behaviors should society change in order to reduce our collective environmental impact?
3. Is there such a thing as a lifestyle that makes no impact on the environment? How much impact is too much? How much personal obligation do we each have in reducing our individual carbon footprints? For great ideas on ways to leave a smaller carbon footprint, visit 1Sky at www.1sky.org and Carbon Shredders at www.carbonshredders.org.
4. Beavan traces much of our wasteful culture back to consumerism and the “hedonic treadmill,” the notion that there is always something better out there than what was just purchased. Can you identify purchases or habits in your own life that fit this psychological profile? What consumer products truly improve your life? What are the true necessities? What could you do without altogether? To learn more about the relationship between consuming responsibly and enhancing overall quality of life, visit the Center for a New American Dream (http://newdream.org) and take a look at Buy Nothing Day (www.buynothingday.org) and the Alternative Gift Registry (www.alternativegiftregistry.org).
5. Food plays a major role in this story. How much of the food you eat is locally grown? Organic? Processed? Did No Impact Man inspire you to change your eating and drinking habits? Learn more about food health and safety issues at Food and Water Watch (http://fwwatch.org).
6. Beavan runs into many situations in No Impact Man regarding the profusion of packaging waste: paper or plastic at the grocery store, paper plates at the pizza joint, delivery in Styrofoam clamshells. How much packaging waste do you accumulate? How does your community manage landfills and recycling programs? Should it be up to individuals, businesses, or governments to reduce waste? One way to help is to take the Pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit, organized by the Center for a New American Dream (http://water.newdream.org).
7. At first, Beavans wife, Michelle, is a reluctant partner in the No Impact experiment. Discuss her transformation. Why do her attitudes change over the course of the year? How would the project have been different if Beavan had tried it solo?
8. Did Isabelle have a harder or easier time than her parents in adjusting to the No Impact lifestyle? Did the perspective of a child make the project more challenging, or less? Would you consider transporting your child by bike or on foot? What would the world be like for Isabelles generation if all parents set the No Impact example?
9. The Beavan family spends a lot of time considering where all their stuff—especially packaging and anything disposable—comes from and goes to during manufacturing and after it gets tossed away. How much do you know about the origins of your stuff? Has this knowledge caused you to change your buying habits?
10. Colin and Michelle run into friction with their respective families for proposing that flying for twice-yearly visits is too carbon intense. Colins sister is especially rankled to learn that her brother wont be at her baby shower. Are they right to be mad? Have your own actions and principles, environmental or otherwise, ever gotten you in trouble with people you care about? How have family expectations changed since the rise of interstate highways and the airline industry?
11. For most people, giving up a car would be a complicated life change. No Impact Man aspires to give up all fossil-fuel transportation. What would be your biggest adjustments if you sold your car, gave up taxis, buses, trains, and planes, and commuted entirely by bike or on foot? What would spur you to do this? What would the drawbacks be? The Alliance for Biking and Walking (www.peoplepoweredmovement.org) has great tips for making this change, including how to create communities that are practical and safe for bicyclists and pedestrians.
12. Happiness forms a theme in No Impact Man. Would you be happier if you slowed down, dispensed with the instant conveniences, and did more things the old-fashioned way? What are your options for slowing down? What holds you back?
13. Colin Beavans experiment is similar to Henry David Thoreaus sojourn to Walden Pond in the mid-nineteenth century. Is it human nature to want a simpler life (Thoreau craved it before the Industrial Revolution), or is it natural to want to be a consumer? What difference did it make when Thoreau decided to remove himself from society, while Beavan consciously remained an active part of his community? How would the No Impact experiment look in a rural location? What were the challenges and benefits of performing the experiment in New York City?
14. Who has the greater responsibility in addressing climate change and pollution: the government or individuals? How can individuals most effectively help usher in change, locally and at the federal level? What does No Impact Man teach us about persuading naysayers?
15. Although Beavans previous books have nothing to do with saving the planet, there is a common thread in all his work: it showcases extensive research. Browse the notes at the back of No Impact Man. What do they indicate about the amount of information currently available on the importance of environmentalism? Does the Information Age make it easier or harder to learn the facts and promote the cause?
FURTHER READING
For more information, check out the dozens of resources listed in the books appendix, and visit Colin Beavans blog at http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog. Other resources include TreeHuggers articles on Henry David Thoreau, found at www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/thoreau-notes-from-1851-used-to-track-plant-species-loss-climate-change.php; the basics of carbon footprints (www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/carbon-footprint-green-basics.php); and biking infrastructures (www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/5-improvements-to-bike-infrastructure.php). Planet Green offers tips for green child-rearing (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-baby/index.html) as well as effective, easy ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/reduce-carbon-footprint-threesteps.html) and avoid packaging waste (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/mysterious-carbon-footprint-packaging.html). Books of particular interest include Thomas L. Friedmans Hot, Flat, and Crowded and Bill McKibbens Deep Economy.