E.g., we like to compost. Even though we live in an apartment, we managed to get our landlady to let us put a composter out back (no animal scraps or fat due to rats). We have no need for compost — our “garden” is two feet by four feet — but we’ve been composting together for 17 years, starting back when we had a garden. Now it’s a habit.

Or maybe some things are genetic. Like turning off lights. Generations of New England Yankee and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors scream in my head when I leave a light on.

In looking around the New York Times website today I found this story, The Year Without Toilet Paper.
The premise of the story is that this family is living a year in New York doing their best to not have an impact on the earth. No trash, nothing grow…