As we approach the launch of the No Impact Man book and the film, I thought it would be fun to repost some of what I wrote way back in 2007 at the beginning of the No Impact Man year, back when I was just a newly dubbed No Impact Man. I wrote the below after I received a number of critical emails from people who thought you could not say you lived environmentally if you had a dog.
Frankie, our dog, pictured here, has released the following statement:
“It has come to my attention that Colin has received a number of emails that say things like, ‘You have a dog but you call yourself No Impact. Ha!’
“Ha? I just want to say that I only eat food made from the scraps of meat that no people would eat, and not only do I not flush when I pee, but I don’t flush when I poo either.
“Besides that, I am the nature representative on the project, and it’s my job to remind Colin, Michelle, Isabella and others that animals are people too. Also, when Isabella spills milk and crumbs on the floor, I make sure they don’t go to waste.
“Once, when Isabella saw sea lions, she shouted “Frankie!” She automatically loved them because she loves me (even though I killed her stuffed monkey). Isabella will probably always think twice before doing things that hurt animals. I take credit for that. Pets like me do the job of helping to connect people, especially city slickers, to animals and nature and the planet that supports them.