No Impact Man
The premise: A New York man decides to go “no impact” for a year to learn where the limits of living well and living sustainably lie, and taking his wife and small daughter along. They go through phases of reducing trash, giving up most modes of transportation, turning off their electricity, and much more.
Although I don’t agree with all of the endeavors (public and private) undertaken in this documentary, it’s a good conversation starter, if nothing else. Surely, not everyone can forgo electricity and most forms of transportation for a year - but as always, the idea that every little bit helps resonates with me. The film doesn’t sugarcoat how hard some of the “phases” of the project were, but the whole year is seen as a process of learning what we need and what we can do without, with the goal of having no impact on the environment. By the end of the movie, Colin has made it his goal to have a positive impact, through volunteering and spreading the word about what he has learned during his no impact year. The family phases some things back in, but has learned to do well on much less than they thought they needed. Worth a watch if you are interested in learning a bit about human culture and how to simplify your life.
