Recently, I received an email from a military officer who I happen to know because he is an expert on subversive warfare, which, in a way, was the subject of my last book. He is a Christian and, I’m pretty sure, a Republican. All the same, without invitation from me, he has become reader of […]
environment
“Why your happiness matters to the planet”
The headline is the title of an article in the Christian Science Monitor about how consuming fewer planetary resources may, instead of making us deprived, make us happier. We’ve discussed this so often here on No Impact Man. The article, by Moises Velasquez-Manoff, points to yet another study that shows that material consumption above […]
Designers: If it isn’t life-enhancing, can it really be sustainable?
Consider, first, that reduced resource use and sustainable lifestyles, on both the cultural and the individual level, need not mean deprivation. As an individual-level example, studies show that bicycle commuters are happier than car and transit commuters. As a cultural-level example, people who live in pedestrian-friendly areas like villages, where cars are used less frequently, […]
What I’d say if I was wrong about climate change
Yesterday, a reader calling himself “Richard Miller” left behind a critical comment about my meeting with Congressman Nadler in which I will ask him to sponsor a “Sense of the House” resolution calling for climate change policy based on what is scientifically necessary rather than just politically possible. Richard asked, “How are you going to […]
LV GRN: Why recycling is nowhere near enough
People used to to ask me, essentially, why I was making such a big dig about not making trash during the No Impact project. They’d say, “I mean, it’s recyclable, right?” As Annie Leonard says in Story of Stuff, “Recycling reduces the garbage at [the landfill and incinerator] end and it reduces the pressure to […]
The “needle exchange” approach to planetary damage
There are two ways to reduce the harm to the planetary habitat we depend on for our health, happiness and security. One is to reduce the amount of resources we consume or degrade–air, forests, atmosphere, water, etc–and the other is to make the consumption of those resources less harmful. In other words: Resources Used x […]
Conspicuous UNconsumption
If you’ve been following the story of the No Impact project at all, you’ll know that my little family did not start out as Birkenstock-wearing, reusable-bag-toting environmentalists. In fact, Michelle and I made a habit of crying for the polar bears while blasting the air conditioners. I, in particular, was a liberal shlub who had […]
Too many Big Macs?
As you know, the eating part of the No Impact project required my family to switch to eating only local, seasonal, vegetarian food. We are lucky in that local food is not difficult to get in New York City and swearing off meat has not been too hard on our palates. If you’re wondering what […]