Great story for frugalites in today's new york times: "The Year Without Toilet Paper"

[Fern]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22impact.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[fairy74]

very interesting and a great article!

[zetta]

I think these kinds of exercises can actually do a lot of harm to the environmental movement -- people come away with the impression that environmentalists want to make us all give up toilet paper and other small comforts of life. It is much better IMHO to promote forms of conservation that are easy to live with. For instance if we have building standards that require more insulation, we can keep our houses warmer or cooler with less energy expended. Promote flourescent lightbulbs, curbside recycling, higher fuel efficiency automobiles, etc.

[PetMom]

fascinating reading, thanks for providing link to this story.

of course, it was the title that caught my attention, and
they allude to the solution as using water and air drying.

a quick search on his blog did little to enlighten me,
I am left wondering if they have installed a bidet.

[benosayi]

My mother thinks it is bad that I have given up buying paper towels. I am going to send her this article.

[Hot dog]

I thought I was the only one being made fun of by family for not buying paper towels Good to know I am not the only one

[Fern]

OK, Zetta briings up an interesting point, but in my opinion, we need people doing ridiculous things like giving up toilet paper. Why? Becus any "movement" (no pun intended ha ha) needs certain extremist elements to push the envelope, so there is a continual redefining of the boundaries of the issue. If people keep giving up the toilet paper, then doing simpler, more reasonable things like trading incandescent for flourescent will seem much more realistic.

It works the same way with activist groups. Compare the relatively conservative Audobon Society with Greenpeace, the ones who confront whalers on the open seas.

Or compare the NAACP with the Black Panthers. The latter makes the former look good, if only in comparison.

[crabbypatty]

I thought I was the only one being made fun of by family for not buying paper towels Good to know I am not the only one

Add me to the list LOL Although we sometimes keep one roll around for draining bacon.

[Ima saver]

I would give up lots of things, but not toilet paper!!

[PRICEPLUS]

I will not go to this extreme. I will be green to a point but I am not going back to the dark ages! I draw a line at no toilet paper!

[benosayi]

Add me to the list LOL Although we sometimes keep one roll around for draining bacon.

Get a splatter guard from dollar tree to drain bacon, it really works. ( that is the thing that is round and looks like a screen0.

[PrincessPerky]

hmm, Seems more like a deal to write a book than an honest goal to change themselves or the world....

Toothpaste is baking soda (a box makes trash, to be sure, but of a better quality than a metal tube), but Ms. Conlin is still wearing the lipstick she gets from a friend who works at Lancôme, as well as moisturizers from Fresh and Kiehl’s.

The bingo windfall points to a loophole in No Impact: the Conlin-Beavan household does accept presents. When Mr. Beavan’s father saw Ms. Conlin scootering without gloves he sent her a pair. And allowances can be made for the occasional thrift shop purchase. For Isabella’s birthday on Feb. 25, her family wandered the East Village and ended up at Jane’s Exchange, where she chose a pair of ballet slippers as her gift.

Not that I mind, their life, but well...I just see gradual changes as more likely to stick...but then again, maybe they will keep some more normal changes.

I do think one for the best things of this that may come of this, is the realization of just how much of an impact that happens with each and every little thing we do....

[baking23]

I just read about this today in the paper I can't wait to read the article. I have reduced my toilet paper usage by using water generally, which then leads to the debate of water v.s. paper waste but I think it works fine.

My mom, whose the one that started me on being such a recycling fanatic, still buys paper towels. We had two huge containers of rags, and lots of cheesecloth. I keep trying to mention to her that they could be used for spills and draining bacon but she's not for it. Although those rags tend to be used just for cleaning so I understand, but still...

[bigsaver]

I guess a start would be getting everyone to use both sides. That's a 50 percent reduction right there. Was that mentioned in the article?