No Impact Man

No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal who attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes about Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process by Colin Beavan. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. 274 p., $25.00.

Pushing a point to the extreme often highlights important underlying principles. In this book, Colin Beavan does just that with his own lifestyle. For one year, this "guilty liberal" decides to swear off essentially all the conveniences of modern society: electricity, take-out food, public transportation, in short, anything that creates a negative environmental impact. The self-imposed environmental exile proceeds through stages, first cutting out trash and transportation, not purchasing new items, eating only locally grown food, and finally cutting electricity. As more and more of the modern lifestyle is trimmed away, Beavan finds a greater connection to his family and a deeper understanding about what makes us happy.

The book is written with a clear spiritual tone. That is, Beavan sees saving the planet as part of a larger search for the purpose of life and living. Beavan argues that mass consumerism has clouded our worldview to such an extent that we are willing to sacrifice national happiness for gross national product. Production and consumption define society rather than wellbeing and relationships. Reducing frivolous consumption thus not only saves the planet, it also helps us live more meaningful lives.

In this context then, there are remarkable similarities between Beavan and the modern message of most religions. We long for a purpose greater than ourselves, a collective goal to strive towards. While Christianity focuses on heaven and a spiritual salvation, Beavan's brand of envrionmentalism focuses on harmony with the earth and temporal wellbeing. The two are not incompatible, and in fact the book highlighted for me how environmentalism can and should team up with religion to promote healthier living. After all, both teach that we are stewards of this earth and we have a responsibility both collectively and individually.

As evidence of this book's value, my personal behavior has been significantly influenced by Beavan's suggestions. I have realized how much I needlessly waste, and I am striving to better use what I already have. Lights are turned off more frequently, we are avoiding single-use packaging, and trying to eat more locally. The reminder that relationships and a life well-lived are more important than degrees and positions is also particularly pertinent at this time in my life.

If there is one downfall in Beavan's novel, it is the somewhat melodramatic and emotive focus on collective guilt. Indeed, while the conservative movement all too often utilizes the politics of fear, the left seems to be entrenched in the politics of guilt. Atoning for past sins is neither helpful nor particularly appealing. The book shines when it focuses on the individual and what we can do today to have a better life and be better stewards of this world; it fails when it starts cataloging the past excesses of humanity. We cannot change the past, we can only learn lessons. So let's focus on making the present better using what we already know.