"Extreme Environment Living" in NYC

There's a fascinating NY Region op-ed in the NY Times. Written by Colin Beaven, Worms in the Apartment looks at how, for the first time in his life, Beaven has changed his life to reflect his belief:

For the year beginning last December, my wife, our 2-year-old daughter and I, while living in the middle of the city, are trying to survive without making any net impact on the environment. This means we’ll get as close as we can to creating no trash (so no takeout), emitting no carbon dioxide (so no driving or flying) and pouring no toxins in the water (so no laundry detergent), as well as mitigating impacts we can’t avoid (so planting trees). Not to mention: no elevators, subways, buying products in packaging, plastics, air-conditioning, TV or toilet paper.

Which means worms in the trash to make compost, making their own yogurt and even spending "an afternoon picking up garbage (including, God save me, plastic bottles full of urine thrown from vehicles on the West Side Highway)" among many others. It may sound a little crazy, but it's also inspirational and makes you think about the little things you could do not to consume as much. And we think the Beaven family is brave - there's a 52-inch TV that's not going to be turned on!

And it turns out Beaven has a blog, No Impact Man, which will document his year. We liked his post on plastic bags, because that's definitely one of the things that drives us somewhat crazy - a day goes by and you suddenly have five more plastic bags that you didn't have when you started it. And there will eventually be a No Impact Man book and documentary.

And if you're curious, this is how you can compost with worms.