Life without toilet paper is better than you'd think?

Fresno Bee.

The irony of these so called environmental activists, like the family featured in that documentary, No Impact Man, and other allegedly adventurous families that temporarily remove themselves from "off the grid", is that they can afford to just take the time off from their work to dedicate their time to this all encompassing new lifestyle.

Driven by their own egos, they preach how people should do this form of conservation and people should stop doing that [name whatever the latest environmental fad here - the antitoilet paper fad for instance].

There are neighborhoods in New York City where they don't have any grocery stores, let alone grocers or farm stands that sell local produce. These are the poorest neighborhoods of the city.

True, there are some people who are following through with these conservation practices that are earnest and sincere in their beliefs rather then being conservationist just to appear to be hip to their friends and neighbors.

But generally, its all pie in the sky idealism that's out of reach of the average person.

Nods.

1 in 4 people do not have electricity in this world. Even fewer have access to toilet paper. This man has basically decided to live like someone in rural Asia or Africa without giving up the luxury of clean drinking water (I assume even if he turned off his own electric he still had running water in an apartment). I'm a fairly hardcore environmentalist, but for the most part I think what he is doing is just theatre. We need to find ways to balance our technological advancements with clean energy sources, not throw out the baby with the bath water - so to speak. Yes, we have some very bad habits and material addictions in the west and they are spreading around the world like an evil plague, but the problem is bigger than toilet paper and TV's. If he really wanted to be "no-impact man" he should have gotten a vasectomy. The greatest negative impact being make by humans is our ever increasing numbers - although mostly by women who have no choice in the matter. I'm all for a more sustainable way of life and a healthier food supply, but this man's approach seems very naive and somehow self-absorbed. Yes, I'm a little cranky tonight.

My take on the book - it was indeed theater, but there wasn't as much preaching as you might think.

lk, Your recommendation has made me curious. My local library has it, although it's checked out until the middle of this month. I'll put in on my winter reading list.

Agree on the self framed.

And none of you will look at the Kolbert link? (much less the initial link?)

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/250615/september-30-2009/threatdown---environmentalists--kang-lee---mountain-pine-beetles

Are you referring to this Colbert link?

No, that was me going on and on re Beavan and Kolbert. But I'll look at your link.

Alas - I'm hearing distressed and can't just get Colbert. Indeed, the tendency for whole newspapers to turn into videos with sound shuts me out (have you clicked onto the LA Times lately?), as I'd rather just read the news.

I trust there is no transcription of what Colbert said?

Not only do I require toliet paper - but it has to be of a certain brand/ply - can't stand the cheap single sandpaper type.

I even wrote a thread on it.

Disclaimer! Greenwitch, if you do read it on my recommendation, I have to add a disclaimer. I rolled my eyes plenty during this book. He repeated himself horribly, he didn't consider a few angles, he did do some preaching though I think there'll be less there than you all might think. Ummm.... what else....? I think of more.

No worries. I never hold a reviewer responsible for my reaction to a book. It's a topic that interests me, even if the author seems a little over the top on his subject.