Posted 4:12 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, 2011
The author and environmentalist who attempted to live for a year with no net impact on the environment spoke to a UW-L 100 class Thursday, Oct. 6.
[caption id="attachment_6535" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Colin Beavan, author of "No Impact Man," signs books for students in a UW-L 100 class. The class is designed to enhance the transition to college for first year students."]
[/caption]The author and environmentalist who attempted to live for a year with no net impact on the environment spoke to a UW-L 100 class Thursday, Oct. 6. Colin Beavan, author of “No Impact Man,” also gave a public lecture Wednesday night on campus.
Students had questions about what Beavan gave up — from his wife’s cosmetics to electricity in their New York City apartment. The most difficult thing to ditch was the washing machine, recalled Beavan. He remembers the night his daughter threw up on her sheets – twice. Washing those sheets by hand was a breaking point. He realized there is a limit to how much someone can sacrifice for the environment — to how much less harm a person can do.
Yet he sees no limit to how much good one can do. Beavan believes people can work with communities to solve problems instead of leaving issues to captains of industry and [caption id="attachment_6539" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Colin Beavan, author of "No Impact Man," had a discussion with students in a UW-L 100 class on Thursday, after his public lecture Wednesday evening on campus."]
[/caption]politicians. For instance, communities can work toward making sure power is generated by solar or wind — ultimately making his washing machine less of an impact on the environment.
“Sometimes it’s hard to swim against the current of the culture, so we need to work to change the culture instead — politically and in communities,” explained Beavan.
Beavan said the first step toward making a difference is to consider what really matters in life. He asked students to think about how big, worldy events affect them. He encouraged them to be engaged and to find connections between themselves and these issues despite the notion that they are just one person. Today people and groups are experimenting with the No Impact lifestyle all over the world. UW-L will have a one-week carbon cleanse, Oct. -9-16. Find more information here.
[/caption]The author and environmentalist who attempted to live for a year with no net impact on the environment spoke to a UW-L 100 class Thursday, Oct. 6. Colin Beavan, author of “No Impact Man,” also gave a public lecture Wednesday night on campus.
Students had questions about what Beavan gave up — from his wife’s cosmetics to electricity in their New York City apartment. The most difficult thing to ditch was the washing machine, recalled Beavan. He remembers the night his daughter threw up on her sheets – twice. Washing those sheets by hand was a breaking point. He realized there is a limit to how much someone can sacrifice for the environment — to how much less harm a person can do.
Yet he sees no limit to how much good one can do. Beavan believes people can work with communities to solve problems instead of leaving issues to captains of industry and [caption id="attachment_6539" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Colin Beavan, author of "No Impact Man," had a discussion with students in a UW-L 100 class on Thursday, after his public lecture Wednesday evening on campus."][/caption]politicians. For instance, communities can work toward making sure power is generated by solar or wind — ultimately making his washing machine less of an impact on the environment.
“Sometimes it’s hard to swim against the current of the culture, so we need to work to change the culture instead — politically and in communities,” explained Beavan.
Beavan said the first step toward making a difference is to consider what really matters in life. He asked students to think about how big, worldy events affect them. He encouraged them to be engaged and to find connections between themselves and these issues despite the notion that they are just one person. Today people and groups are experimenting with the No Impact lifestyle all over the world. UW-L will have a one-week carbon cleanse, Oct. -9-16. Find more information here.