Pre-Week (9/24/2015) –
Are you ready?
Want to save money? Lose weight? Have more time? Live healthy and be happy? AND save the world
along the way? Welcome to the No Impact Week!
Get ready for your weeklong carbon cleanse, and discover how living more sustainably can benefit you,
your community, and the planet. Make sure to get your friends on board by having them register too at
www.noimpactproject.org/university
Step 1: If you haven't read the University No Impact Week How to Manual yet, make sure to read
through it before Sunday. It's full of great ideas and resources for completing each day's challenge.
Step 2: If you haven’t already, be sure to "Like" the No Impact Project Facebook Page to get event
updates and to share your feedback, pictures, and comments throughout the week.
Step 3: Pick up your No Impact Week Event Schedule at the Green Raider Tables (9/28-10/2):
11AM-1PM Mon/Tue/Thurs/Fri in HPCC & Wed in KHIC
Step 4: Fill out this brief pre-week survey.
Step 5: Finally, take a moment to watch this short video of others taking on the No Impact Week to get
inspired!
Thanks for joining us!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 1 Consumption (9/27/2015)
Welcome to a Retreat from Consumption
Are you ready to start chopping away at your environmental impact? Sunday marks the start of the No
Impact Week. The first challenge is consumption. Starting Sunday, and lasting for the rest of the week,
we challenge you to not buy anything new (except for food!). That's right. No clothes, shoes, bottled
water, nothing! Savor the time and money you will save.
Step 1: Watch the short film "Story of Stuff” to get inspired
Step 2: Type up a list of all the stuff you “need” to buy this week. Delete the items that you can live
without for the week. For the rest of the items, figure out if you can get them second-hand, borrow
them, or make them yourself.
Step 3: Put an empty re-usable bag in a private place at home. Throughout the day, fill it up with all of
your trash, recyclables, and food waste. If you’re out of the house, carry your trash home with you.
Make sure that nobody else’s trash gets in there but your own. This will help you get ready for Monday’s
challenge.
Step 4: What did you avoid buying today? How much money did you save? Share your answer on the
No Impact Project Facebook page.
Enjoy!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 2 Trash (9/28/2015)
Today is Trash Day!
Today's challenge is to not make ANY trash. We challenge you to reduce, reuse, and not throw anything
away. If you do have to toss something, try to be mindful of where it could end up.
Step 1: For inspiration, watch these two short videos:
o
The Story of Electronics
o
The Story of Cosmetics
Step 2: Empty your special trash bag from yesterday. Separate the items into two piles: stuff that you
used for more than ten minutes, and stuff you used for less than ten minutes. How does this make you
feel? Share your thoughts with others on the No Impact Project Facebook page.
Step 3 Put together a no-trash travel kit for the week with a reusable drinking receptacle for hot and
cold liquids, a handkerchief/old t-shirt, a reusable plastic container, utensils, and reusable produce bags.
Step 4: Stop making trash. Reduce it. Reuse it. Recycle it. Just don’t throw it away. Keep a special “trash
list” to write down any trash you make by mistake.
Step 5: Write down five things for which you are grateful.
Wishing you a trash free day!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 3 Transportation (9/29/2015)
Let's get moving! It's Transportation Day
I hope you're ready for some exercise and fresh air, because today is TRANSPORTATION DAY! You are
challenged today, and for the rest of the week, to travel only by bike, scooter, skateboard, roller blades,
your own two feet or whatever other environmentally friendly method you can come up with! If a
vehicle is unavoidable, try to use public transportation or carpool with someone else. Consider using
these online carpool tools: ride post, e-ride share or carpool world.
Step 1: Take stock of your habits: make a list of everywhere you’re going today and how you usually
get there. What alternative modes of transportation could you use instead? Organize a carpool, put on
your walking shoes or tune up your bicycle. Watch 300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 seconds for
inspiration.
Step 2: Throughout the day, keep a list of everything you eat, where you eat and where you purchase
your food. This will help you get ready for Wednesday's challenge.
Step 3: GO! Bike. Walk. Scoot. Glide. Hop on the bus. Carpool.
Step 4: Take a moment to reflect on your day. Was it a nice change of pace or a difficult one? What
benefits did you discover along your route? What could you improve in your experience? Post a
comment on the No Impact Week Facebook page.
Step 5: Write down five things for which you are grateful.
Enjoy the fresh air!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 4 Food (9/30/2015)
I hope you're hungry. Today is FOOD DAY!
Today challenges you to eat locally and sustainably. During their No Impact Year, the Beavan family
examined and altered what they ate and found new, carbon-friendly ways to nourish themselves. They
ate vegetarian, locally and cut out all fast food! Packaged and processed food disappeared from their
grocery list. The Beavans soon discovered that these changes not only lessened their environmental
impact, but also enabled them to lose weight and improve their health. Best of all, they got to spend
more time with friends and family at vibrant markets and while making and sharing meals. What will
you discover?
Step 1: Take your food list from yesterday and calculate your carbon “foodprint.” Did you eat anything
grown within 250 miles? Choose five items from yesterday that were not produced locally and try
swapping them out for items that are produced locally. For this week define your own limits. Will you
only buy food grown within 100 miles of your home, or food only grown within the country? Will you
give up beef or try veganism? Since you aren’t consuming packaged products (which create trash), your
choices may be easier than you think.
Step 2: There’s no denying it — eating fewer animal products can be the single greenest move you can
make. Try going vegetarian for your No Impact week, or having meat in just one of your meals. You can
even just try it for a day! You'll find recipes and resources for delicious veggie- based meals perfect for
any day of the week here.
Step 3: Try some new recipes, invite friends over to share a meal. Keep track of your food choices. Ask
yourself throughout the day: what are the most challenging aspects of adjusting your food habits? What
are the most rewarding aspects? Share your thoughts with others on the No Impact Project Facebook
page.
Step 4: Watch the short online film Hunger and Food Security: Do We Really Need Industrial Agriculture
to Feed the World?
Step 5: Write down five things for which you are grateful.
Wishing you a delicious day,
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 5 Energy (10/1/2015)
Today's challenge is ENERGY
You've done a great job lowering your impact so far! Today is a great chance to get creative! Replace
your kilowatts with ingenuity. So turn off your TV and dig up some board games and candles (unless
they’re not allowed in your dorm!) Look here for some great tips to save electricity!
Step 1: Assess your current energy consumption habits. List everything in each room that uses energy
to operate (i.e., electricity, oil, gas, batteries). Put a star next to any item that you would ordinarily use
during the remainder of your No Impact Experiment.
Step 2: Next to each starred item, indicate if you are going to ELIMINATE or MITIGATE your usage of
that item. Not sure how to live without your _______(fill in the blank)? Brainstorm and spark a
conversation with others.
Step 3: Unplug! Turn it off. Power down. Go off the grid. For the truly adventurous, turn off your
electricity completely and see what happens.
Step 4: Ask yourself throughout the day: What is the hardest part about reducing the amount of energy
you use? What parts do you actually like better? Allow yourself a quick moment of computer time to
share your answer and your energy saving experiences with others on the No Impact Week Facebook
page.
Wishing you a relaxed, candlelit evening,
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 6 Water (10/2/2015)
Today is WATER Day!
Congratulations! You’re now on day 6 of the No Impact Experiment! Today we focus on water. Water is
one of the most precious resources on earth and we should treat it that way. Most of us use much more
water than we think we do every day, because things we buy, food, and electricity all use large amounts
of water.
Step 1: Calculate your “water footprint” here.
Step 2: Watch the short film The Story of Bottled Water to learn why you should give the bottled water
habit the boot.
Step 3: Begin! Turn off the faucet. Run the water gently when needed. Soak the dishes. Sponge-bathe.
Step 4: Ask yourself throughout the day: What is the hardest part about reducing the amount of water
you use? Are you doing something particularly novel or fun to reduce your water consumption? Post
pictures or upload a video of a unique technique you’ve invented or show us some photos of the tools
you used to cut back.
Step 5 Write down five things for which you are grateful.
Enjoy!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 7 Give Back (10/3/2015)
Give Back Day
Saturday is Give Back Day. This week you have taken the time to appreciate the many gifts the earth has
given you. Saturday it’s time to give back. Studies have shown that there is a strong connection between
volunteering and a decreased risk of heart disease, lower rates of depression, and greater longevity.
Step 1: Make a list of all the ways you contribute to your community now. Do you watch your
neighbor’s kids for free? When was the last time you held open a door for a stranger? Do you write
checks to charity or volunteer on occasion? How can you step up what you’re already doing and do
more?
Step 2: Consider donating to your favorite charity.
Step 3: Practice what you preach. Give. Do. Help. Change. In other words, sign up today to volunteer for
a local environmental cause.
Step 4: How do you feel? As you give back throughout the day, ask yourself what benefits arise from
volunteering. Did you meet your neighbors? Find common ground with strangers? Evaluate the hardest
obstacles you’ve faced today and share possible solutions with fellow No Impact Week participants.
Step 5: Write down five things for which you are grateful.
Enjoy this chance to give back to the world!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Day 8 Eco Sabbath (10/4/2015)
Sunday is the final day of your No Impact Week: Eco Sabbath
Saturday you will give back to the world, Sunday we ask you to give back to yourself. You have
completed an amazing journey in environmentally-conscious living this week. From decreasing
consumption to giving back to your community, you have experimented with new lifestyle choices and
made a difference. Now, it's your day to unplug and unwind.
Sunday is about awareness and taking some time back for yourself. This is a chance to lay off the lights,
televisions, computers, appliances, cell phones, flashing gadgets, and other stuff that seems to make the
world go round. It’s a special time to hang out (or in) by yourself or with friends and family. It is a time to
reflect on the well-being of yourself and the planet.
Step 1: Plan your day: how do you need to prepare so that you don’t use any of your appliances,
electronics, motorized transport, or money?
Step 2: Stop everything. Take this opportunity to read a book, take a hike with friends, or maybe just
take a nap.
Step 3: Tie up your week; look back at your grateful lists and count the number of times you listed a
consumable item (something that you buy). How did you feel and what did you learn from making this
list every day?
Step 4: Congratulate yourself for working hard and making a difference!
Thank you for taking this No Impact Journey with us!
Green Raiders, SMAC, & No Impact Project (http://noimpactproject.org)
Follow Up (10/5/2015)
Dear No Impact Week Participant,
Congratulations on your great work last week! Now that you have successfully completed a No Impact
Week, what changes do you plan to make in your life moving forward? Let us know by filling out this
quick No Impact Week post-experiment survey.
Thanks! We can’t wait to hear from you.
No Impact Project
http://noimpactproject.org
www.facebook.com/NoImpactProject
https://twitter.com/#!/noimpactproject