Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A Bit Too Enviromentaly Friendly?


A family in Manhattan, US has left the 21st century in order to save the planet. This means no lights, no fridges, no TV, no air condition. The bathroom has no toilet paper, no toiletries, no shampoos. In this dim house, you would wonder how any life would be going on. But a man, his wife and his daughter are taking part too.

Colin Beavan, 43, aims for a better world by reducing the bad stuff he uses. His dining table is lit by candles, not lights. His radio, which is solar powered, is his only way to hear the news of the world. A combination of vegetable oil, baking soda, vinegar and borax results in the families toothpaste, detergent and body soap.

Everything he does was in small steps, he says. His first step was to reduce their family's rubbish. They bought second hand stuff and took a hamper to the supermarket instead of using plastic bags. Colin uses a glass jar he found in his trash as a reusable cup to drink his coffee in, instead of taking the plastic cups from shops.

They also stopped using normal transport, only walking or cycling. They then stopped using electricity in the flat, turning off the fridge and dishwasher and other appliances. Instead, all laundry is cleaned by hand using the normal combination. Solar panels on the roof power his laptop and one light.

And instead of using toilet paper, he uses normal water and soap. He has a compost box, in which he puts green leftovers with worms to feast on them. Colin also does projects or events in which he tries to aware others of global issues, such as a sponsored race in the sea by swimming (seen in the photo).

So, I'll share my view on the subject, but first - what about you?

4 comments:

  1. I think it's a great idea! If it does nothing other than raising awarenss about the environment, then that's good enough. By the way, many people in the world live without what we consider 'basics' such as toilet paper, electricity & soap. Why: either povert (Africa) or forced conditions (Gaza). To anyone reading this, please pray for the poor people of the world and for our brothers and sisters in Gaza.

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  2. I can't survive without AC !

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  3. Mona: Hmm, Ok. Although I think he's taking it a bit too far.

    Hani: Neither can I. Nobody in jordan can. =)

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  4. it is a tad..ok more than a tad too much...the light bulb has died in my bedroom and im going crazy without this one light ...cant imagine living on a candle light..althought i remember sooo many nights we had to in lebanon back in the days..their toothpaste will make me into a gagging episode everytime i brush my teeth...
    yeh it is way too much...but like mona said other live like that...they do not have any other choice..

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