Do the Eco-Hustle

One of the many problems with trying to get people to live greener is the widely held view that it involves uncomfortable sacrifice. For instance, at one end of the spectrum is the so-called "No Impact Man," (www.noimpactman.com) who made a well-publicized experiment of living in New York City for one year and attempting to have no net impact on the environment. As you can imagine, this was quite the challenge and called for siginificant deprivation. No fridge, no A/C (in the NY summer!), no TV, no electric lights. And, in the most disgusting bit of denial, no toilet paper! Of course, in the process of giving up all these creature comforts, No Impact Man found amazing new ways to bond with his family and has ended up remaining very low impact, preferring the mostly-off-the-grid lifestyle. But that's a topic for another day. Most people would consider his lifestyle VERY uncomfortable.

But club-goers in London now have a new way to enjoy themselves AND draw very little power from the grid. How do they do it? Just by dancing.

According to London's Evening Standard newspaper, come July 10, a rich real estate entrepreneur named Andrew Charalambous will be opening London's first eco-dance club.

When London's energetic dance youth arrive at the new club, they will be charged ten pounds entrance fee -- unless they can prove they walked, rode a bike, or took public transportation. In that case, entrance is free. Drinks are served in cups made of eco-friendly polycarbonate cups. And, gray water will flush the toilets.

But the most interesting thing about this club is its dance floor. It is raised a few inches, supported by an array of short columns made of piezo-electric crystals, which generate electricity when compressed. So, when the hordes of half-drunk young Londoners pogo madly to the beat of the latest endlessly repeated Euro-house dance loop, they will be generating up to 60% of the club's electricity.

Charalambous and his new organization Club4Climate (dedicated to helping halt climate change) plan to open clubs in New York, Cape Town, and Rio. Their motto: "All you have to do is dance to save the world."

If only that were true. But, this new club is -- forgive the pun -- a step in the right direction.