Tonight the Girl and I will be watching No Impact Man. A very environmentally conscious friend of mine recommended that I watch it–and I have to admit, I’m intrigued.
The documentary chronicles one Manhattan man’s attempt at having zero net impact on the environment. Colin Beaven, disillusioned with modern day consumption and overwhelmed by his concerns over the environment, decides to take an extreme step towards reducing his carbon footprint. He recruits his reluctant wife, who has a penchant for fashion and city living, and his young daughter to live for one year with greener than green standards. He aims to create zero trash and use zero motorized transportation or electricity–a goal that tests even the strongest environmentalist.
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Peace out Girl Scouts & have yourself a great weekend,
~Mavis
kari A. says
I read his book a couple of years ago and loved it. I didn’t know there was a movie too. Will definitely be checking it out soon!
Krys says
Thanks for the tip! I’ve recently decided to start utilizing my local library for DVDs and they have it! Maybe I’ll be inspired to make some changes!
Skelton says
I loved the movie. While some of the things they did weren’t practical on a real-life level, it was great food for thought. It’s always good to be thinking about how we can live more responsibly. Often, things that are good for the environment are good for us individually as well. Riding a bike instead of driving is amazing. I get some exercise, and feel so much better after a ride vs. feeling drained and lonely commuting in a car.
Liv says
I have seen it and loved it! I think I could do a few of the things his family did, but certainly not all. You will definitely enjoy the movie.
karen r. says
Great movie and book, Mavis. A few of the changes were a little extreme for my family, but very though provoking.
Julie says
I saw this movie several years ago. I don’t remember many specifics about it but I do remember liking it. I may just have to watch it again. Enjoy!
Sarah says
I’ve seen this and loved it!
Enjoy 🙂
Amanda says
I read his blog when he was going through this year and really enjoyed it (gleaned many tips from his project). However, “meeting” Colin in the movie turned me off a bit. I liked the wife a lot more.
Keely says
I watched it and participated in their No Impact challenge. It was great to challenge myself to be a better ecochick as well. I liked the movie. Let us know what you think.
Capgirl says
I saw it listed on Netflix, so I watched it ‘with’ you. What did YOU think?
Some things made a lot of sense, like walking to work (I live exactly 5 miles down one street from my job, so I walk sometimes for the exercise and stress reduction). Eating at home is healthier all around anyway – although I would probably not love a diet of porridge and root vegetables.
I thought the laundry in the bathtub scene was adorable, and turning off the TV is good for everyone! But seeing the flies in the house from composting was awful, the 6months of using a cooler with ‘mooched’ ice, and the lack of caffeine would have made me nuts or driven me to violence!
The sacrifice I wouldn’t have been able to make was the TP. I don’t need to buy the 3ply super deluxe Cadillac of TP, but the idea of reusable cloths, (washed in the bathtub, I assume) was just too much, and naturally I wondered about ‘feminine’ supplies – eek TMI. The wife was right when she said he was over sharing…
The impact on the family coming closer together was great,; a shared project and goal can do that – and I was wondering if they did have a second child…
I saw Colin was running for office…
Harmony says
Thanks for the movie recommendation, Mavis! Its true, I didn’t love every aspect of No Impact Man’s little experiment but I thoroughly enjoyed the thought provoking nature of it. There are so many little things that I’d like to do better and after seeing them live without a refrigerator… it suddenly seems so easy to do the little things like make reusable bulk/vegetable sacks for when I go to the grocery store, ride my bike more, etc. Thanks for blogging, lady… you’re awesome!
Mrs. Fisher says
I LOVE this movie! I highly recommend it! My husband found it on super clearance when Borders was going out of business, so now we have it on our shelves at home. Great ideas and ways to help our environment.
BethAnne says
We rented it and liked it. Hope you enjoyed it.