Hi class of 2015 freshmen! My name is Andrée Rathemacher, and I'm a professor in the Library, where I coordinate the purchase of the library's books, magazines, and online resources. I decided to read Beavan's book because I like the idea of a common reading that can create a shared conversation on campus.
I thought this book was a good choice for the common reading, but I was a little apprehensive before reading it. I was afraid that the author was concerned only with his own small actions as an individual — through changing his consumer choices. While I was interested in the ways he managed to reduce his impact, I think the most useful part of the book for me was his conclusion that saving the planet is not about limiting ourselves as individuals, but joining together collectively to advocate for better ways to meet our needs and to create options (for transportation, energy, food) that don't yet exist.
It would be great if some of you reading this book are inspired to form a group that works to reduce waste on campus, or to assist dining services in sourcing more local food, for example.
Meanwhile, I'm going to "recycle" my copy of No Impact Man by passing it on to my next-door neighbor.
Best wishes in your first year at URI!
When Colin Beavan discribes all of the negative impact the world receives he almost puts himself down and blamed himself for every little thing he did wrong. what he needed to realize in the middle of the book is mostly if anything he is trying, and thats more then anybody else is doing...
ReplyDeleteand also he is setting an example for the rest of the world to follow. For him calling himself no impact man, he sure has put a heck of an impact on peoples way of life with his book and movie.
Andrew Onofrio:
ReplyDeleteI found all this depressing stuff on the national geographic website, and although there's nothing mentioning Rhode Island specifically, but the floods will shrink our state, the famines our food supply, and the Adele Penguins are cute, so personally, there's an awful lot riding on this climate change business.
Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).
Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.
Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.
Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.
I agree that in order to save the environment, we need to work together. I also concur with Colin’s message that people often blame “the system” when it would be more productive to change their own behavior. In reality, we, as a collection of individuals, are “the system” and all of us need to take responsibility for our own actions or inactions. We need to come together, live our values, and make sure our society reflects them. In order to do so, we need to elect officials who can implement our beliefs, who will make the quality of our lives better, and who will not simply focus on enacting legislation that supports big business and unfettered capitalism. The takeaway from this book is that we need to do more ourselves and as a community. In addition, we need to make sure that we vote and that we are making educated decisions as to whom to vote for. - Alex Geremia
ReplyDeleteThis inspiring, thought-provoking novel captured my attention as well as made me reconsider my own lifestyle. No Impact Man was an eye opener that showed how one family could live through what some would consider self inflicted torture for one whole year without making impact on the environment. Colin showed how selfishly we live our lives by showing how much he gained from losing what we consider life. I experienced a similar situation during hurricane Irene. I lost power for what felt like forever but it was actually only 4 days. I learned how to create my own fun with my family and create less waste as well. Colin did the same thing with his family. The TV was no longer the only form of entertainment and now their family became stronger than ever. This book does a phenomenal job of making you want to better yourself as well as making you feel bad about yourself. It also proves that one person can make such a big impact on our society while not making an impact on our planet.
ReplyDelete