Twenty-five days consuming only water; I haven’t done this since 2007. Back then the focus was solely on the climate crisis. A stimulus for my doing it was the unexpected takeover by the Democrats of the House of Representatives in the November, 2006 elections. Soon afterwards Nancy Pelosi said she wanted legislation on global warming passed by July 4^th, but when it hadn’t happened by then I thought it was time for my first long fast since 1992.

This climate emergency fast ended up going 107 days. The last 82 were on fruit and vegetable juices and, for the last 47 days, liquid soups. I discovered that you can persist a long time on liquids if you make sure to get the proteins and vitamins and minerals you need.

One of the interesting things that happened on this fast is that Nancy Pelosi’s office called me several times during it to see how I was doing. I appreciated that. And as the fast evolved it became a fast supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation that Pelosi was leading an effort to pass. It was called the Energy Independence and Security Act, and it was finally passed and signed into law by President George Bush on December 19, at which point I began to eat.

I’ve now lost 29 pounds, If I don’t begin eating until a week from now, on election day, the total weight loss will be between 30-35 pounds, which is what I expected when I began 25 days ago. Otherwise I’m hanging in there. My pulse is steady and my blood pressure, though with some variation, is pretty steady too. I am definitely resting and working less than I ordinarily do, listening to what my body is telling me.