By now, most of us have heard of or seen No Impact Man, a documentary chronicling the story of Colin Beaven, a Manhattan man who abandons his high-consumption lifestyle in an attempt to create zero-waste for one year. No TV, no elevators, no toilet paper. This example highlights the extent to which some self-proclaimed environmentalists are going to in an effort to create a buzz.
While some applaud their efforts, others label them as extreme and see them as making a spectacle out of trying to do ‘good’. Are ‘eco-geeks’ who take green to the extreme actually accomplishing an eco-feat, something to be proud of and deserving of our accolades? Or are their actions simply eco-stunts, carried out by individuals only trying to get attention?
Interestingly, Beaven’s discoveries as No Impact Man have also been published as a book. No doubt he is hoping this does not become a bestseller as that would definitely have some environmental impact. Motive is always an important factor to consider, and to be honest, Beaven deserves some credit for realizing the lack of freeness of speech he would have in writing a book first, telling off the world for its un-eco-friendliness, if he himself did not set the example. He also claims that to draw support, one must make an impact or do something extreme, actions that will grab the attention of governments and businesses and foment change. If each individual did their part, however, would governments need to use legislation to force people and companies to be environmentally responsible citizens of this planet? Of course, not everyone cares, or cares enough, at least for Beaven’s tastes. But does grabbing attention through eco-extremes do more harm than good in attracting those not yet on the green bandwagon? They may end up feeling that they want nothing to do with the green ‘movement’.
Therein lies the danger of even well-intentioned green extremes. By highlighting a drastic, radical lifestyle, people aspiring to go green may feel discouraged or alienated. They may wonder if their meager improvements can really measure up or make a difference and may ask: do we all have to become extremists? In such a case, a stunt can undermine the message. The message is clearly: we need to go green, now, this is an emergency! The result could be the opposite; a feeling of ‘why bother’ or hopelessness can permeate those who cannot achieve a similar zero-waste effect.
Let’s introduce a novel little word: balance. Balance enables an eco-friendly lifestyle to be carried on indefinitely, certainly longer than a year. We don’t all have to take up a stoic existence to make a positive difference. Most people want to continue to enjoy some measure of comfort and quality of life. There are other ways to address the environmental issues that we face today. New technologies, if explored and implemented, can and will continue to provide us with modern conveniences at little or no cost to the environment. This requires that we, as a world community, grow up and stop acting as children. In what way? If a child is given a toy doll or car, that toy is at the mercy of the child, and as much as he or she loves it, it will eventually wear out due to unrestrained use. If an adult is given a collector’s doll or model truck, it can last a very long time due to the care it’s shown. We cannot continue to rape the earth and act like a child with a toy, expecting it to be there forever no matter how we treat it.
That’s not to say we cannot have any fun, though. In No Impact Man, one of the main discoveries was that less consumption means more time for family and community. Perhaps the revelation was more of a self-discovery. Does it honestly take an eco-extreme to find out that quality time and communication with one’s family makes for a better spouse or parent? Getting rid of TV and making time for other things is an excellent notion. We could show balance, though, by setting a cap on the time spent watching TV or surfing the net, and make sure there is time for more productive things. If a person can be disciplined enough to go a year with zero impact, it seems reasonable to conclude they could be disciplined enough to turn off the TV and schedule their time to give priority to what’s most important.
In all fairness, eco-extremes, if you choose to call them such, cause us all to reflect on our own habits of consumption and waste. For some, such noble feats inspire greater changes in their own life. For others, eco stunts merely smack of self-conceited zealotry. Either way, we could all do better.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Our entire society is constructed in a manner which sees us as nothing more than “consumers” and our economies are based upon creating artificial “needs” and “wants”. Humans have been encouraged to see themselves as elite and above nature, considering every single thing on this planet to be “resource”. We’ve been encouraged to breed like flies, with many governments, such as here in Australia, still handing out “baby bonuses”! We are all hypnotised by mass media, clever marketers, political lobbyists, etc., and so the truth is a very elusive thing indeed for most of us to find our way to and we become complicit in big business’s destruction of the biosphere.
This is all a recipe for planetary disaster and we are shortly going to reap the bitter harvest of this mentality when we realise that we have acted far too late and inadequately on Global Warming and in many other factors of planetary stewardship.
Our entire way of life in the west (and much of it in the east/third world too) no longer respects family, community and environment. We “need” so little and should abandon consumerism. It’s easy. I did years ago.
Just as importantly, a simple vegan diet is a joyful way to go. You can become harmless and then an amazing thing happens: you become increasingly aware of both gross and subtle relationships you have with the world around you. You become peaceful. You become supremely healthy and less likely to condone things like “wars” and more likely to want to bond with nature, community and family. I’m simply begging you all to switch to a low fat vegan diet, bust the protein myth and the lies of the meat and dairy industries, discover yourselves, the wonder of life and the magnificence of our planet.
Good Evening
I found this article (and your site) quite interesting.
I am a masked crime-fighter, but my goals are far deeper than just preventing or interfering with criminality: I want to reach out and inspire people, fight the little evils like the apathy that society seems to produce like pollution these days.
I have a great affinity for animals and nature, and my costume is green (and gold), I was wondering if you might have ideas for anything that I can do while I’m out on crime patrol to spread an eco-message ?
I’m not afraid to take on difficult or dangerous stunts, I applaud the ‘save our planet’ message, and I’d like to make a difference if I can, reach out and spread the message.
Your friend,
Captain Australia
thefutureisvegan
Thanks for the comments! Consumerism has really been a destructive force on our society. We have really failed to identify our needs from our wants all for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses. Thankfully many people are starting to realize this.