One day New York history writer, Colin Beavan, found himself unable to write about the past any longer because he was simply too worried about the future. He was so concerned about global warming that he decided to start an experiment to change his life.

Colin and his family took on a challenge to live without consuming or buying anything but locally grown food and to live in the most environmentally, sustainably way possible for one year.

They cut out every single excess you could imagine. They killed their TV’s, got rid of their air conditioner, switched to cloth diapers, used baking soda for tooth paste and even shared their bath water. If they had to buy something it had to be used.

During the course of this very intense experiment, which was particularly hard on his wife Michelle, a TV and latte junkie, they began to reap some unanticipated benefits.

They began to see that they actually did more together, they sat and just talked, they had friends over for dinner, played games, and they parented better. Also, as a result of living and eating cleaner, Michelle no longer has to face diabetes. In effect, their desire to be better “citizens of the planet” actually created blessings in their lives.

The yearlong experiment has long since ended, but the lifestyle has not. Quite the contrary, Colin has now written a book and started a movement called the No Impact Project with the mission to “empower citizens to make choices which better their lives and
lower their environmental impact through lifestyle change, community
action, and participation in environmental politics.”

Colin says that “living environmentally is not about deprivation. There are real
benefits to living environmentally. We can change as individuals and as
a culture, and becoming more sustainable actually gives us a better
life.”  He has also found that taking responsibility and doing what we can, environmentally and in our communities, can make us feel better and help us to realize that we actually can make a positive impact.

Now that’s good news! Check out Colin’s blog or join the No Impact Project and change your life.

Peace and Blessings!