No Impact Man

We spent Friday afternoon snuggled up on the couch, under blankets watching a movie called "No Impact Man." It was cold and overcast outside (we are in Boston) so it was the perfect day to be lazy.

In a fantastic twist of fate my roommate Libby was at the Watertown Library and saw "No Impact Man" on the shelves and brought it home just days before we were assigned the movie for our weekly community day.

We took it as a sign that we needed to watch this movie.

The young family at the center of the movie lives in New York City, a city full of consumerism and "keeping up with the Jones'." So what happens when they decide to throw all of it out the window and live simply? Comedy but also a good dose of thoughtful questions and commentary. In small increments eco-minded Colin Beavan introduces a set of new rules to his shopaholic wife and their young daughter. By the end of the movie the family is living without buying new things (clothes, shoes, furniture etc); commuting only by foot, bike, or scooter; only eating food that was harvested within a 250 mile radius; and using no electricity. Thats right, no electricity- no lights, no TV, no charging technology (unless by the solar panel), and no fridge.

The movie is great at humbly approaching huge, somewhat unanswerable questions about how our consumerism, as a culture in general and individually, effects our environment. There is no sense of the family using the film to spout that they are above the rest of us, bringing the audience along for the ride.

We as a community have decided to make some eco-friendly lifestyle choices in attempt to cut down our consumerism and our negative impact on the environment. So, in the spirit of "No Impact Man," here is a list of choices the Boston YAV house has decided to incorporate into our lives.

We get our produce from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture); the produce is great and we get a week's worth of produce for 4 people for $9 per person per week ($250 for 7 weeks for 4 people). Thats a steal.

Composting kitchen scraps helps put nutrients back into soil while cutting down on trash. Our scraps are collected in a container in the kitchen and we dump them into our compost pile in the backyard every other day.

Bread is baked right here at home with locally grown grains.

Coffee, chocolate, tea, and rice aren't grown locally so we are sure to buy ethically sourced products.

Even though we're in Boston, we keep the thermostat low and wear layers inside.

Cleaning doesn't have to be full of chemicals. We use plant based cleaners and all plastic spray bottles are recycled once empty.

And because we're in a big city with public transportation, we cram in with everyone else and ride the bus or T whenever possible.

I don't claim that we are making a huge impact but we are trying to at least make a dent in our own way. None of the above changes have been earth shattering, stress inducing (save the times you miss the bus or the T resembles a can of sardines), or bank breaking. They are, however, little decisions that become new normals and hopefully lessen our impact.

No impact? Not quite. Less impact? Hopefully.