No Impact Week

This week is No Impact Week at a few universities. I took the liberty of signing myself and family up. Aren't  I considerate?

No, I did not ask them what they thought or if they wanted to participate. Like a good "radical," I simply told them we were participating.

In truth, I realise I am hardly radical. I am not too far from mainstream really. That is the sad part. I am striving to be a better consumer by NOT consuming.

We kicked things off by watching the documentary "No Impact Man" on Netflix.

Curiously, there are a lot of documentaries on Netflix, and despite what some people have heard, a lot of great shows and movies. Admittedly, some of them are already available online, but if you are watching on TV with a WII or other device, Netflix does make it easier. But, forgive me as I digress.

Our challenges this week for our family are:

• No meat
• Reduce dairy
• No convenience or processed foods (not a usual behaviour anyway for us)
• Don't buy anything new
• Turn off electronics through power bars at night
• Have a fun evening by candle light during "earth hour" by making it three hours

Things we can't change this week:

• Travel by car - I have to drive several long trips this week due to school, volunteer and professional activities
• Alternative family activities - because of above, I will be absent several evenings this week, but the weekend is still available!

I know really in most ways we are pretty mainstream, but here is a list of some things we have already undertaken on a more permanent basis:

• Litterless lunches (doing since 1992!)
• Three R's in order - Reduce first, then reuse... lot's of people brag about their amazing recycling, but when you look in their bin you can see they buy a LOT of packaged stuff. Would have been better to not buy that stuff at all!
• Buying used items at thrift stores over new when possible
• Composting -backyard and municipal depending on our volume
• Making purchasing choices based on reducing packaging (buying in bulk, buying from certain companies, making yogurt ourselves etc.)
• Canning our own food - while not as efficient as a factory, it allows us to reuse packaging (jars) and be more food concious (we would never waste what we put our hard work into)
• Cooking! (rather than fast food and eating out)
• Eating "whole foods" not processed
• Backyard vegetable garden
• Not cutting our grass often - using an electric mower over gas (push would be better!)
• Rain water collection for gardens
• Making handmade gifts for Christmas and Birthdays
• Buying from a CSA for meat and veg (when we can afford to)
• Buying Local food / Shopping at a local food store and the farmers' market
• Eating seasonally for most food products- never buying an imported food if a local one is available
• Environmentally safe cleaning products (vinegar, water, natural soap, baking soda, some natural purchased laundry products)
• Carrying reusable cups for hot and cold drinks on the road
• Backyard chickens! (reminds about the food system, helps us with a holistic garden system, reduces our waste - we feed it to the hens, each egg is precious!)

I don't think this is anywhere near an exhaustive list. And, though it is a good start - there are a lot of other things we could do. Especially in terms of electricity. We haven't made the move to become vegetarian either, however we don't eat a lot of meat and what we do eat is mostly local and pastured.  I am not ready to move into vegetarianism yet, but who knows...it might be next?