Summary: Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year--while still living in New York City--to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television. After this mad endeavor, Beavan explains to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more "eco-effective" and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
Booklist Reviews
When it comes to saving the planet, can one person really make a difference? Define difference. For Beavan, his wife, and their infant daughter, it meant trying to live for a year in New York City without producing any trash, consuming any nonlocal foodstuffs, or traveling by any method other than footpower. It meant not buying anything new, giving up coffee, going off the grid. From their first baby steps (no takeout) to their giant leap (no toilet paper), the Beavans' experiment in ecological responsibility was a daunting escapade in going green to the extreme. Along with the frustrating practicalities of schlepping a two-year-old, a dog, and a bike up and down nine flights of stairs came the exhilarating rush of success as each new challenge was met and conquered. Yet throughout, Beavan experienced overwhelming crises of faith in both himself and his mission. So fervent as to make Al Gore look like a profligate wastrel, Beavan's commitment to the cause is, nonetheless, infectiously inspiring and uproariously entertaining. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews
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