Readers have been clamoring for updates on how we’re living in the No Impact household now that the official year is over. We’re in the stage, as I’ve said, where we’re no longer accountable to the rules but only to our consciences.
First of all, let me say that the philosophy I hope to adhere to is that, since we will be creating more negative impact, what I hope to do is also create more positive impact, too. In other words, I still want to adhere to the idea of no negative impact plus positive impact equals no net impact. Of course, that’s what I hope for and it’s an ideal, the ideal I’d love to be able to say I adhered to when I die: that I did more good than harm on this earth.
But all that is lead up.
People want to know how we’re living these days and I’m going to tell you, but I’m going to eek it out–only because I don’t have time to do a long post. But for today, let me tell you about electricity. I’ll discuss the other areas of our living over the coming days.
The mains electricity is back on, and we’re signed up for the wind-power option. (How cool would it be to find a way in NYC for all of us to use the massive amount of roof space for permanent solar. Perhaps I can help campaign towards that and I could credit it to my positive impact account?).
All our bulbs are CFLs, and I obsessively go around turning them off so that there are only ever one or two bulbs burning at the time. This project has always brought out the OCD in me! Maybe that is a good thing. So much of the negative impact we make on this planet is pure, unmitigated waste.
Also, we’re using the laundry machine (on cold) and the vacuum cleaner. Handwashing was okay for a while but it didn’t work in the long term. The fridge is on the lowest possible setting (which I actually think may be less impact because I was having to throw spoiled food in the compost). We use the vacuum cleaner once a week.
On the other hand, the TV is not coming back and neither is the air conditioner (and that alone reduces our electricity use to about 20 percent of what it was and brings us, I bet, to only 10 percent of the average American household). Nothing is plugged in that isn’t being used (something like 20 percent of household electricity is wasted on computers on standby). And I think that about covers it.
Who wants to join my air conditioner boycott?