I just finished reading “No Impact Man,” by Colin Beavan, and wow am I feeling guilty. “No Impact Man” is the story of how Beavan and his wife and daughter lived for an entire year steadily reducing their impact on the Earth until it was zero. They didn’t just reduce their carbon impact. No, they made sure to reuse everything, use as little electricity as possible, waste no water, give up air travel and (as Beavan points out several times) give up toilet paper as well. The idea sounds crazy at first. I mean, who in their right mind would give up *everything*?

Beavan’s hope is that a lot of people would, if they truly understood the consequences. It’s easy not to think about the consequences because the oil and coal and gas companies are helped along by the government, while the renewable energy companies have to limp along mostly on their own. The true cost of products that are detrimental to the environment is hidden. Beavan has a long list of things we should change about the way our world (and especially our country) operates, and that’s one of them.

But Beavan also points out that although he gave up a lot, he gained a lot too. By turning out the lights when the sun went down, he was forced to step away from the computer and television and spend more time with his wife and child. When he stopped buying takeout because of all the packaging, he learned how to cook with local, in season produce. He got more exercise and lost weight because he walked or biked everywhere and stopped using elevators. The list goes on. He and his family did give up some creature comforts, but as he points out, they never strayed towards asceticism. Instead, they learned to value what was necessary and give thanks for what they had.

What I found especially cool (and which was probably not the intended lesson) was that the book itself was made from sustainable materials. The cover is recycled cardboard and all the energy to make the paper came from biomass. Ultimately, though, what I took away from the book was an idea that I’ve recently come to embrace and that Beavan brings up several times. It’s not enough to preach about the problems in the world. It’s not enough to sit on our butts and bemoan the state of the planet while we go and buy another cup of coffee (handed to us in paper cups) and a sandwich (wrapped in plastic) from the shop we drive to three miles away. If we want to see a difference, we need to make a difference. Nothing will happen if everyone waits around for something to happen. We need to get up, walk down the stairs (no elevator), walk to the store with our reusable mugs/jars and ask for whatever is in season. We need to go to the farmer’s marked instead of the grocery store and turn off the lights when the sun goes down. We need to walk and bike more and drive less. Some of the changes will be difficult and some of the changes will be easy, even fun.

Tonight, I’m going to cook something using vegetables that are in season. I’m going to wake up tomorrow and try to go an entire day without turning on the lights. I’m going to air dry my clothes instead of using one of the school’s dryers. And I’m going to start writing more letters to my Senators and Representative and make sure my voice is heard.

My question for you is the same one that Beavan uses to end his book. What are you going to do to start making a difference? What do you stand to gain by making your lifestyle sustainable? And what about the people around you?

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