no impact week how to manual2

8/2/2019 No Impact Week How to Manual2

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Want to save money?

Lose weight? Have more time?Live healthy and be happy?

Perhaps, this manual will show you how.

This guide is not riddled with acts and gures about how

youre destroying the environment. Thousands o web sites

already do that, and thousands more show you how to reduce

your carbon ootprint or the sake o the environment.

This is dierent.

The ocus o our program is to help you live a happier lie

that will result in a happier earth. And so, this manual is

about you. I you havent already registered, sign up here.

Think o this guide as your personal trainer or a week. It's

organized by day. You will stop consuming new goods on

a Sunday, then on Monday you will stop making trash, and

on Tuesday you will switch to non-carbon producing trans-

port, etc. Each day builds on the day beore, so by Friday

you are not shopping or new goods, not making trash, only

traveling by sustainable transportation, eating locally, using

less energy, and wasting less water. We recommend reading

through this guide and preparing or the experiment oneweek beore you begin. Weve oered some general ideas

and resources to help guide you through each day, but dont

limit yoursel to what weve written. I you have great ideas

about how to live lower impact, click here and share them

with your ellow No Impact men and women.

The Experiment is about improving yoursel, your commu-

nity, and your country. In addition to changing your habits

this week, we ask you to volunteer at least once or a local

environmental organization and get involved in at least one

o our non-partisan partners national advocacy campaigns.As you progress rom day to day, you'll nd tools weve

created to connect you with other participants and help

you stay motivated. Youll learn more about these inside. You

can nd answers to all o your questions about the week on

our website.

Good luck! (And please dont print this out.)

No Impact Experiment.table of contents

introduction 1

sunday: consumption 2

Monday: trash 4

tuesday: transportation 6

takeaction 8

wednesday: food 9thursday: energy 11

friday: water 13

saturday: givingback 15

sunday: eco-sabbath 17

a one-week carbon cleanse
http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://noimpactproject.org/experiment/faqs/http://noimpactproject.org/experiment/faqs/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpact


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Type up a list o all the stu you need to buy thisweek. Delete the items that you can live withoutor the week. For the rest o the items, gure outi you can purchase them second-hand, borrowthem, or make them yoursel.

Put an empty re-usable bag in a private place athome. Throughout the day, ll it up with all o yourtrash, recyclables, and ood waste. I youre out o thehouse, carry your trash home with you. Make surethat nobody elses trash gets in there but your own.This will help you get ready for Mondays challenge.

Just or this week, try not to shop or new items.Will you nd something better to do with your

time and money? Could you use this time to spendwith riends instead?

What is the hardest part o decreased purchasing?Go to our site and comment about your experi-ence, thoughts, and overall consumption habits.I youre trying something new or unique, tell usabout it.

I you have not already submitted answers to yourpre-experiment survey, please do so now. It will helpus continue to oer the program or ree and help

you gauge the change you will experience this week.

Its a vicious circle.I worry a lot about this keeping-up-

with-Joness stuff because I believe

that many of us compulsively work

our butts off to get more stuff which means more resources

have to be dug out of the planets

guts and more pollutants have to

be vomited into the air, earth and

water. And what stings is the fact

that we often nd out that getting

more isnt making us happier.-

-No-Impact-Man-blog,--

August 9, 2007

sunday: consumption

your challenge

steps:fyi

Live a fuller and happier life by buying less stuff.Welcome to Day 1 o your No Impact Experiment!

This rst challenge is about doing more with less. People around the world are discovering that they'd

rather spend time making social connections than buying new stu. To learn why this is such an im-

portant part o living a lower impact lie, watch one o our avorite videos,The Story o Stu. The No

Impact Experiment is a truncated version o Colin Beavans experience trying to live in New York City

with no environmental impact. Three months into Colins year-long experiment, he stopped consuming

new goods (except ood). As his wie Michelle discovered, when you kick your shopping habit, youllsave money, have more time to spend with your amily and riends, discover more space in your house,

and maybe just maybe youll discover that less really IS more.

99% o the stu that goes

through our production

system is trashed within

6 monthsAnnie Leonard,

The Story of Stuff

2 | no impact experiment

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no impact experiment | 3

stores such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or

Bualo Exchange.

For Must-Have Purchases

To learn how to keep more money in your pocket,support people and places you love, and nd productsthat are good or all o us, download a local buying

guide rom the Center or a New American Dream.

Browse t he GreenGuide or a cornucopia

o ideas to help youmake better productchoices or your healthand the environment.

Look or green productsthat are eco-riendly ormade rom recycled ma-terials and shop rom trulygreen companies. Searchthe GreenPages to ndscreened and approvedgreen businesses.

This-list-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg.-

Click-here-for-more-resources,-and-

if-you-have-new-ideas,-click-here-to-

share-them-with-us.

sunday: consumption

Ideas for change

Shop Less, Live MoreGet inspired to give it up. Go online and shout Halle-lujah with Rev. Billy's Church o Lie Ater Shopping.

Instead o another ew hours spent shopping, take abike ride, go ice skating, clean out your closet, reada book. Replace shopping with an activity that youenjoy doing more.

I you've never consid-ered making your ownbody and cleaning prod-

ucts, you'll be surprisedat the money you'll saveand the un you'll have.

Let's ace it thingsbreak. Instead o head-ing straight or the mall, rst try to x it yoursel. Fortips on how to x things or to post your own x-itproblem, click here.

Hand-Me-Loves (aka Hand-Me-Downs)

Try shopping in your own closet (you never knowwhat youll nd that you orgot about!) Clear out yourcloset with Freecycle, a ree local network o peo-ple who give away their stu. Click here to learn howto host a swap party that raises money or charity.

Get a group o riends together and have a clothingswap. Trade your tired threads and get a new lookwithout spending a penny. Click here or ve strate-gies or throwing the perect clothing swap.

One persons trash is another persons . . . Take your

pals dumpster diving ortreasures untold. For thetruly adventurous, givereeganisma go.

Find an alternative tobrand new in secondhand

cool idea #1

Be lazy! According to

Matt McDermotts article

on Planet Green, buy-ing nothing, doing less,

and being lazy can help

the planet!

cool idea #2

Get craty with these

eight abulous green DIY

ashion projects.

TUESDAY YOU GREEN YOUR COMMUTE. START PREPARING TONIGHT!

cool idea #3

Send a text message to

66937 with GREEN[company

or brand name] (ex:

GREENnike, GREENdelta,

GREENtarget) and youll

receive a message back

rom Climate Counts with

that companys climate

score and the company

leading that industry sec-

tor. Or you can downloadthe ree Climate Counts

pocket-sizedcompany

scorecard.

http://locator.goodwill.org/http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/E3610FB5DDD550A1802573250030E32A?Opendocumenthttp://www.buffaloexchange.com/locations.phphttp://www.newdream.org/buyingwisely/index.phphttp://www.thegreenguide.com/http://www.thegreenguide.com/http://www.thegreenguide.com/http://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/greenpages/http://www.newdream.org/consumption/quality.phphttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.revbilly.com/about-ushttp://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/06/green-your-hygiene-simple-suds.htmlhttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/cleaning/green-household-cleaning/http://www.howtomendit.com/http://www.freecycle.org/http://swapforgood.org/http://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/foolproof-clothing-swap-strategies.htmlhttp://www.care2.com/greenliving/dumpster-diving-decorating-green-or-gross.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeganismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeganismhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/lazy-local-planet-action.html?campaign=daylife-articlehttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/fabulous-green-fashion-projects.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/fabulous-green-fashion-projects.htmlhttp://www.climatecounts.org/http://www.climatecounts.org/http://www.climatecounts.org/http://www.climatecounts.org/http://www.climatecounts.org/http://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/fabulous-green-fashion-projects.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/fabulous-green-fashion-projects.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/lazy-local-planet-action.html?campaign=daylife-articlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeganismhttp://www.care2.com/greenliving/dumpster-diving-decorating-green-or-gross.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/foolproof-clothing-swap-strategies.htmlhttp://swapforgood.org/http://www.freecycle.org/http://www.howtomendit.com/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/cleaning/green-household-cleaning/http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/06/green-your-hygiene-simple-suds.htmlhttp://www.revbilly.com/about-ushttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.newdream.org/consumption/quality.phphttp://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/greenpages/http://www.thegreenguide.com/http://www.thegreenguide.com/http://www.newdream.org/buyingwisely/index.phphttp://www.buffaloexchange.com/locations.phphttp://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/E3610FB5DDD550A1802573250030E32A?Opendocumenthttp://locator.goodwill.org/


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Empty your special trash bag rom yesterday. Sepa-rate the items into two piles: stu that you used ormore than ten minutes, and stu you used or lessthan ten minutes. How does this make you eel?(Now put everything back in the bag and put it asideor the week.)

Put together a no-trash travel kit or the week with

a reusable drinking receptacle or hot and coldliquids, a handkerchie/old t-shirt, Tupperware,utensils, and reusable produce bags.

Stop making trash. Reduce it. Reuse it. Recycle it.Just dont throw it away. Keep a special bag athome or the oce to collect trash you make bymistake or necessity throughout the week.

At the end o the day, take time to refect onyour discoveries and post on our blog. Answerthese questions: What did you put in your specialtrash bag? Why was it hard or easy not to maketrash? Where was it impossible not to make trash?Comment about it here.

Be proud o your eorts and a great start to the

week! Write down ve things or which you aregrateul.

Environmentally-conscious packaging?Think ice cream cone. It contains the ice

cream. It biodegrades. It provides

calories. In other words, it has value all

by itself. It is not wasted resources. If

we must have packaging, why cantall of it be designed in such a way?

In other words, lets make sure the

resources we use deliver value instead

of just being something we throw away.

-No-Impact-Man-blog,March 12, 2009-

monday: trash

your challenge

steps:fyi

Discover how wasting less improves your life.Its Monday o your No Impact Week. Consider all trash bins o-limits.

When Colin began his experiment he stockpiled his amilys trash or a week to gure out what

disposable items they could stop consuming and throwing away without sacricing their happiness

or comort. Ater giving up all disposable products, their level o happiness and satisaction actually

increased. Intrigued?

In 2006, the U.S. pro-

duced more than

251 million tons o

trash 4.6 pounds

per person per day.

EPA Municipal Solid

Waste Data for 2006

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(Scroll-down-for-ideas-and-resources-to-help-you-through-the-day.)

http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/home-recycling-advice/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/packaging-that-is-good-for-people-and-the-planet.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/packaging-that-is-good-for-people-and-the-planet.htmlhttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/home-recycling-advice/


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no impact experiment | 5monday: trash

Ideas for change

Food ShoppingAt the grocery store (orarmers market), use thebulk bins and bring yourown old produce bags,pre-weighed containers,or cloth bags.

Carry everything outin reusable bags romhome and dont takea receipt (or use it overagain or lists/scrappaper).

Steer clear o goodsthat come in a box,wrapper, throw-awaybag, plastic container,tin can . . . you getthe idea!

Cleaning

Rid your lie o paper towels. Cut up and reuse oldclothes or napkins, diapers, cleaning rags, dishtowels,and even or blowing your nose.

Women: Instead o toxic and landll-clogging tamponsand pads, check out a DivaCup or The Keeper.

Trade in your throw-away or rellable plastic razorsor a straight razor.

To avoid packaging waste, try out one o the manyalternatives or soap,

deodorant, and laundrydetergent such asvinegar, baking soda,natural deodorantstones, shaving soap,and soapnuts.

EatingTravel with reusable cutlery, a handkerchie, and a reseal-able bag or Mason jar (all handy or eating on the run).

Say goodbye to delivery and hello to potlucks with riends.

Cereal lovers buying in bulk reduces your waste. Iyou cant buy in bulk, then re-use the wax-lined bagsin cereal boxes to wrap sandwiches, or as trash bags.

Celebrating

Consider gits that dont come wrapped in lots opackaging that will end up in the trash. Give experienc-es, such as massages (who doesnt love a back rub?)and local adventures like museums, movies, anddance or rock-climbinglessons.

Re-gitin g is good or yourwallet and the planet.

Working

Forget Post-Its. Use scrap paper, junk mail, and dry-erase boards to take notes.

I your workplace isnt already as environmentallyriendly as it should be, check out these tips or mak-ing changes, like starting a recycling program.

Stop printing or printdouble-sided.

Lobby your oce toreplace disposable cups

with reusable glass mugs.

This-list-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg.-Click- here-for-more-resources,--and-if-

you-have-new-ideas,-click--here-to-share-them-with-us.

cool idea #2

Load up this iPhone app

to nd out where you

canrecycle ANYTHING

in your area.

cool idea #1

Repurpose your

Nintendo as a lunch-

box. Host a clothing

swap party. Use the Sun-

day comics to wrap gits.

Google repurposing

or more un ideas.

cool idea #3

Find untrash-ree

alternativesto wrapping

paper.

cool idea #4

Windows users: down-

loadGreenPrintto save

paper, ink, and money.

WEDNESDAY BEGINS YOUR WEEK OF ECO-FRIENDLY EATING. PRIME YOUR FRIDGE TODAY.

http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/paper-or-plastic-byobhttp://www.divacup.com/http://www.keeper.com/http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/lvgrn-the-knife-at-my-throat.htmlhttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/body-care/eco-friendly-personal-care-products/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/body-care/eco-friendly-personal-care-products/http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/extraordinary-uses-for-vinegar/article24053.htmlhttp://www.regiftable.com/Regifting101/Default.aspxhttp://www.regiftable.com/Regifting101/Default.aspxhttp://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/03/10_ways_to_go_g.htmlhttp://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/human-footprint/trash-talk.htmlhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://earth911.com/iphone/http://earth911.com/iphone/http://www.blogher.com/could-you-would-you-skip-wrapping-paper-yearhttp://www.blogher.com/could-you-would-you-skip-wrapping-paper-yearhttp://www.printgreener.com/index.htmlhttp://www.printgreener.com/index.htmlhttp://www.blogher.com/could-you-would-you-skip-wrapping-paper-yearhttp://www.blogher.com/could-you-would-you-skip-wrapping-paper-yearhttp://earth911.com/iphone/http://earth911.com/iphone/http://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/human-footprint/trash-talk.htmlhttp://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/03/10_ways_to_go_g.htmlhttp://www.regiftable.com/Regifting101/Default.aspxhttp://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/extraordinary-uses-for-vinegar/article24053.htmlhttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/body-care/eco-friendly-personal-care-products/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/body-care/eco-friendly-personal-care-products/http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/lvgrn-the-knife-at-my-throat.htmlhttp://www.keeper.com/http://www.divacup.com/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/paper-or-plastic-byob


6/17

Take stock o your habits: make a list o every-where youre going today and how you usually getthere. What alternative modes o transportation

could you use instead? Log onto your local tran-sit authoritys website or an online trip planner.Organize a carpool, pick up a bus schedule or tuneup your bicycle.

Throughout the day, keep a list o everything youeat, where you eat and where you purchase yourood. This will help you get ready for Wednes-day's challenge.

GO! Bike. Walk. Scoot. Glide. Hop on the bus.Carpool.

Take a moment to refect on your day. Was it a nicechange o pace or a dicult one? What benetsdid you discover along your route? What couldyou improve in your experience? Comment aboutit here.

Write down ve things or which you are grateul.

I pedaled into the BusinessWeekmothership this morning on

my three-wheeled rickshaw . . .This is lifestyle redesign par excellence:

taking what was once a wasted dead

zone a study in sedentary and

turning it into a meditative mini

workout. Free transportation

plus free calorie burn plus faster

commute equals a net net net

positive gain.--BusinessWeek-The-Case-for-

Optimism-blog,-June 3, 2009

tuesday: transportationyour challenge

steps:fyi

Burn calories, not fossil fuels.Day 3. Youre one-quarter o the way through.

Think ewer emissions and more un, ree time, and money. Lets hop to it and start brainstorming how

you can change your mode o transportation to have the least impact possible. And remember you're

still attempting to buy nothing new and make no trash.

Two months into his No Impact year, Colin and his amily began phasing out all orms o mechanized

travel no planes, subways, taxis, cars, not even elevators. They biked, walked, and scooted, and not

only did better by the Earth, but discovered that active transportation is less stressul (no trac jams!),

cheaper, burns tons o calories, and is plain old FUN. Using active transportation lowers your stress

plus, you get to spend more time with your amily. Now, who wants to honk at that?

American car owners

spend an average o

1,000 hours annually

behind the wheel. Whatwould you do with all

that extra time?


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7/17

no impact experiment | 7tuesday: transportation

Ideas for change

With Your Own SteamAn estimated 30 percento workday trac is romparents driving their kidsto school. Lace up yoursneaks and enjoy thetime with your child ona walk to school. Clickhere to learn aboutstarting a Sae Routes toSchool program.

Roll. Grab your helmet,those nity refectors,and get rolling bike, rollerblade,skateboard,scoot. Your lungs,your legs, andyour lover willthank you.

Fity percent o trips are less than two miles away.Bike to the library and check out a copy oHow to

Live Well Without Owning a Car.

By Mass Transit

Enjoy time by yoursel by reading a good book, knit-ting, or even a little snooze as you let the conductor,bus driver, or captain do the driving or you!

Be in the know check this out to get updated in-ormation about how public transportation saves you

money and protects the environment,

as well as what the government is do-ing to pump up mass-transit inra-structure.

Sharing is CaringDont know anyone you can ride with? Google ride-sharing and the name o your town to nd a localorganization serving as matchmaker.

Join a car-sharing program. I you dont need a caror everyday commuting, car sharing is or you. Youllreduce the number o cold starts (when a car emitsthe most emissions), cut down on the number ocars in your town, andmake your communitysaer or pedestrians andbicyclists. And you couldsave as much as $4,000annually by not payingor car maintenance,cleaning, and parking.Sweet!

I You Must Drive

Double-up on errands, take the shortcuts

you wont miss all those red lights.Make sure to use your gasoline to the highest power:increase your mileage by pumping up your tires, mod-erating your acceleration, and turning o the A/C.

Stop idling. Turn yourengine o when the car isnot moving. In New Yorkyoull get a ticket i youdont!

Learn more about joining

the hypermilers (driverswho maximize their gasmileage by adjusting theirdriving behavior).

This-list-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg.-Click-here-for-more-resources,--

and-if-you-have-new-ideas,-click--here-to-share-them-with-us.

cool idea #1

Bike commuting with

kids is a win-win. Check

out how Fritz trans-

ormed his one bike to

transport his two kids.

cool idea #3

Keep your pants rom

being pulled into your

bike chain a simple hair

clip, rubber band, or your

socks will do the trick. Anddont orget to signal!

cool idea #2

iPhoners check out Car-

ticipate, the rst ride-

sharing application on a

location-aware mobile

platorm. And its ree!

TOMORROW YOU START EATING LOCALLY. MAKE SURE YOU STOCK UP TODAY!

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/http://www.runmuki.com/http://www.simpleliving.net/main/item.asp?itemid=954http://www.simpleliving.net/main/item.asp?itemid=954http://hopstop.com/http://www.apta.com/http://www.carsharing.net/http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/12/the-true-cost-o.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/12/the-true-cost-o.htmlhttp://www.hypermiler.ws/http://www.grist.org/article/miles-outlandishhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://commutebybike.com/2007/09/15/commuting-with-kids/http://commutebybike.com/2007/09/15/commuting-with-kids/http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carticipate/id285818837?mt=8http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carticipate/id285818837?mt=8http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carticipate/id285818837?mt=8http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carticipate/id285818837?mt=8http://commutebybike.com/2007/09/15/commuting-with-kids/http://commutebybike.com/2007/09/15/commuting-with-kids/http://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.grist.org/article/miles-outlandishhttp://www.hypermiler.ws/http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/12/the-true-cost-o.htmlhttp://www.carsharing.net/http://www.apta.com/http://hopstop.com/http://www.simpleliving.net/main/item.asp?itemid=954http://www.simpleliving.net/main/item.asp?itemid=954http://www.runmuki.com/http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/


8/17

Become a Climate Leader! Climate Leaders are theSierra Clubs super activists who commit to helpingour most important campaigns to ght global warm-ing. Leaders will get the inside scoop on our lateststrategies in regular conerence calls, help test outcutting edge tactics and technology, and are the rstplace well turn to when we need to organize eventsand rallies that showcase our grassroots muscle.

Click here to learn more.Let's Move Beyond Oil! The BP Gul Coast disaster isthe largest oil spill in history. Tell the Obama admin-istration that oil has no place in a 21st-century cleanenergy economy that addresses global warming it's time to move Beyond Oil.

Stop Toxic Coal-Ash Waste. Communities across thecountry are exposed to heavy metals such as arsenic,lead and mercury when hazardous materials romcoal-ash disposal sites seep into our drinking water.The result increased risk o cancer, learning dis-

abilities, birth deects, and other illnesses. Submit acomment to the EPA to support the ght against

the coal industry to protect Americans.

Sign a Petition for Cleaner Cars and Trucks. President Obama and the EPA have the ability toreduce millions o tons o C02 rom our atmosphereby setting stringent pollution controls and greatereciencies or our cars and trucks. Sign the petitionto add your name to the growing movement or

cleaner transportation choices!

The No Impact Experiment is about

helping yoursel, helping your community

and helping your country.

At some point this week, we'd like you to par-

ticipate in one o Sierra Club's non-partisan cam-

paigns. Then tell us how it made you eel. I you are

not inclined to do this in the beginning o the week,

see i your perspective changes toward the week-

end, ater youve completed the challenges and

have a better understanding o what it takes to live a

lower-impact liestyle. We think youll learn that using

your voice might make you happier.

To get your eet wet, choose just one issue climate change, dirty uels, or transportation.See below or your match.

At some point this week, choose rom one othe Sierra Club actions below.

Do something.

Important: tell us how you elt about using

your voice to make change. Comment aboutit here.

steps:

1

2

34

Be Part of the 2% Solution! To minimize the impacto global warming, we must cut carbon emissions2 percent a year or eacho the next 40 years. Wemust start right now tomake dierent, bet-ter decisions about theenergy we use at home,

at work, and as a nation.Sign the petition andpledge to be part o the 2% solution.


take action your challenge

[To] suggest that collective andindividual action are mutuallyexclusive, or even different, is wrongheaded

and dangerous. Collective action is

nothing more than the aggregation

of individual actions. And individual

action does not preclude involvement

in collective action. In fact, it absolutely

demands it. The two work together.

No-Impact-Man,-pg.-220
http://action.sierraclub.org/ni_climateleadershttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_beyondoilhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_beyondoilhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_twopercenthttp://www.sierraclub.org/http://action.sierraclub.org/ni_twopercenthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_transportationhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_coalashhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_beyondoilhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_beyondoilhttp://action.sierraclub.org/ni_climateleaders


9/17

Take your ood list rom yesterday and calculate yourcarbon oodprint. Did you eat anything grownwithin 250 miles? Click here to nd out whats in sea-son locally. How much non-organic meat and dairy

did you consume? How much packaged ood didyou buy? Chose ve items rom yesterday that werenot produced locally and try swapping them out oritems that are produced locally. Here are 10 econom-ical steps or putting the right ood on your table.

This week change your diet. Try veganism,eating locally, eating organically or simply reducingthe amount o bee you consume. Since you arentbuying packaged products (which create trash), yourchoices may be easier than you think.

Dig in! Bicycle to a armers market. Learn some newrecipes. Invite riends over or a potluck.

Keep track o your ood choices. Ask yourselthroughout the day: what are the most chal-lenging aspects o adjusting your ood habits?Comment about your choices, experiments,menus, or other ood adventures.


A big part of the No Impactproject was to eat only local,

seasonal, unpackaged food.That meant, basically, lots of

fresh vegetables. Michelle and I

both lost a lot of weight. Noneof the farmers I talk to at the

farmers market try to jam their

food with salt, fat, or sugar to get

my little Isabella addicted.

No-Impact-Man-blog,-May 7, 2009

wednesday: food

your challenge

steps:fyi

Healthy eating can also lessen your foodprint.Its Wednesday! Are you hungry?

You probably will be i you havent planned or this day in advance. We wont kid you, today is a tough-

ie. Youve tackled trash and transportation, no small eats. Now its time to ocus your eorts on ood.

The good news is that eaters the world over are reinventing themselves as locavores, vegetarians, organic

oodies and gardeners and eeling better or it. During their No Impact Year, the Beavan amily ex-

amined and altered what they ate and ound new, carbon-riendly ways to nourish themselves. They ate

locally and seasonally. Packaged and processed ood disappeared rom their grocery list. The Beavanssoon discovered that these changes not only lessened their environmental impact, but also enabled

them to lose weight and improve their health. Best o all, they got to spend more time with riends and

amily at vibrant armers markets and while making and sharing meals. What will you discover?

Distance your average item o ood travels to your

plate: 1,500 miles

John Hendrickson, Energy use in the U.S. Food

System: A Summary of existing research and analysis


1

2

3

4

5


http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmileshttp://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmileshttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/10-ways-to-eat-well/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/a-vegetarian-test-drive/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/keeping-kids-healthy-by-eating-local-and-unprocessed-food.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/keeping-kids-healthy-by-eating-local-and-unprocessed-food.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/keeping-kids-healthy-by-eating-local-and-unprocessed-food.htmlhttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/a-vegetarian-test-drive/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/10-ways-to-eat-well/http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmileshttp://www.eatlowcarbon.org/


10/17

no impact experiment | 10wednesday: food

Ideas for change

ShoppingFind your nearest local,sustainable, and organicbakery, butcher, andarmers market in theEat Well Guide.

I you cant give up co-ee this week, switch toair trade. Need sugar?Try locally harvestedhoney. Need olive oil? Try local butter. Wine? Searchhere or your nearest vineyard.

Download Food and Water Watchs Smart SeaoodGuide or buying ocean-riendly sh.

When buying seaood text "FISH" and the name o thesh to 30644. You'll receive a reply with ino about thesustainability o the sh.

Theres no denying it eating ewer animal prod-ucts can be the single greenest move you canmake. Try going vegetarian or your No Impactweek, or having meat in just one o your meals.

You can even just tryit or a day! You'll ndrecipes and resourcesor delicious veggie-based meals perect orany day o the week atMeatless Monday.

Cant give up meat? Take this meat productionglossary with you to the store.

CookingPractice passive cooking by using letover boilingwater to soten and even lightly cook (or steam) things.Instead o sauting or braising greens, massage themwith some oil and vinegar until sot and wilted.

Find ways to use your

oven or shorter periods.Put ood in during thepreheating stage andturn the oven o early tolet the heated air nishcooking your ood!

Save money and eathealthier by preservingood. You can expandyour local ood optionsthrough the seasons by

canning or reezing lo-cal produce year round.This is a great groupactivity.

Eating Out

Pack school or oce sandwiches and snacks in re-useable or washable cloth bags. Use glass or stain-less steel lunchboxes or To-Go Ware.

According to WasteFreeLunches, a child who bringsher own lunch to school will save about $250 a year.

Ask or tap water instead o bottled.

Bring your own doggy bag rom home when you'reeating out.

Whether youre driving cross-country or across town,nd local, sustainable and organic restaurants here.

Put down the McNuggetsand check out the anti-ast ood movement,Slow Food. Their 83,000members have discovereda slower, cleaner, healthierway o eating. Soundsdelicious!



cool idea #1

Do you know whats in

your shopping cart? Find

out what countries your

produce comes rom with

The Global Grocer.

cool idea #3

Make Colins ood-scrap

vinegar! Combine in-sea-

son ruit scraps and chop

up coarsely. Dissolve a

quarter cup o honey in

one quart water. Throw

the scraps in and cover

with a cloth. Let erment

or two or three weeks,

stirring occasionally. For

more recipes like this,

read Wild Fermentation

by Sandor Ellix Katz.

cool idea #4

Eat the reshest oodand take the worry out o

buying locally. Sign up

or a local CSA.

cool idea #2

Thanksgiving is com-

ing up. Try the100-mile

Thanksgiving challenge.

http://www.eatwellguide.org/http://www.eatwellguide.org/http://www.wine-searcher.com/merchants/usa,winery,13UShttp://www.wine-searcher.com/merchants/usa,winery,13UShttp://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/seafood-guide/national-seafood-guide/http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/seafood-guide/national-seafood-guide/http://www.meatlessmonday.com/http://www.sustainabletable.org/spread/handouts/Glossary_of_Meat_Production.pdfhttp://www.sustainabletable.org/spread/handouts/Glossary_of_Meat_Production.pdfhttp://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htmhttp://www.to-goware.com/http://wastefreelunches.org/http://wastefreelunches.org/http://ecologichomemakers.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/my-new-takeout-food-packaging-japanese-doggy-bag/http://www.eatwellguide.org/http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.phphttp://www.thegreenguide.com/foodhttp://www.thegreenguide.com/foodhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/global-grocerhttp://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/global-grocerhttp://www.localharvest.org/csahttp://www.localharvest.org/csahttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/gobble-gobble-green/http://100milediet.org/thanksgivinghttp://100milediet.org/thanksgivinghttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/gobble-gobble-green/http://www.localharvest.org/csahttp://www.localharvest.org/csahttp://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/global-grocerhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.thegreenguide.com/foodhttp://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.phphttp://www.eatwellguide.org/http://ecologichomemakers.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/my-new-takeout-food-packaging-japanese-doggy-bag/http://wastefreelunches.org/http://www.to-goware.com/http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htmhttp://www.sustainabletable.org/spread/handouts/Glossary_of_Meat_Production.pdfhttp://www.sustainabletable.org/spread/handouts/Glossary_of_Meat_Production.pdfhttp://www.meatlessmonday.com/http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/seafood-guide/national-seafood-guide/http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/seafood-guide/national-seafood-guide/http://www.wine-searcher.com/merchants/usa,winery,13UShttp://www.wine-searcher.com/merchants/usa,winery,13UShttp://www.eatwellguide.org/


11/17

Since we have no electricity as part of the NoImpact experiment, we also have no TV.

Last week, someone asked me how we

entertain Isabella without one. Coin-

cidentally, that day, my friend Mayer,

whose community garden plot I help

with, called to say that reies were

in season at the garden and that I

should take Isabella there at dusk. So we

went . . . when about six reies circled

around us, Isabella suddenly looked at me

and said, Im so happy, Daddy. She never

said that while we were watching television.-

No-Impact-Man-Blog,-July 19, 2007

thursday: energy

your challenge

Replace kilowatts with ingenuity explore no-energyalternatives to accomplish your daily tasks.Today we are going to ocus on reducing energy use.

You've reached the th day o your No Impact Experiment, and you have made incredible changes: you are

making less trash, getting around on your own steam, eating better, and cutting back on your consumption. I

lie without electricity sounds daunting, well, it can be. The laundry machine was one o the things Colin and

Michelle missed the most during their No Impact year. But they also ound their apartment was cluttered withelectricity-sucking devices they didn't miss at all. Without TV, they had to rely on each other or entertainment.

The amily orged deeper relationships and had more meaningul conversations. They slept better ollowing

the natural rise and all o the sun, and without rerigeration, they perected a healthul culinary technique o

preserving vegetables. Over the next our days, how ar can you go to reduce your energy consumption?

fyi

Switching to green energy

is one o the easiest ways

to make a big dierence. Inact you can cut your carbon

dioxide emissions by an aver-

age o 35 percent.


Assess current energy consumption habits. Walkrom room to room in your home. List everything

in each room that uses energy to operate (i.e.,electricity, oil, gas, batteries). Put a star next to anyitem that you would ordinarily use in the remainingour days o your No Impact Experiment.

Next to each starred item, indicate i you are going toELIMINATE or MITIGATE your usage o that item. Notsure how to live without your ll in the blank? Brain-storm and spark a conversation with others online.

Unplug! Turn it o. Power down. Go o the grid. Forthe truly adventurous, turn o your electricity com-

pletely and see what happens.

Ask yoursel throughout the day: What is the hard-est part about reducing the amount o energy youuse? Comment or Vlog about your experienceconserving energy here.


steps:1

2

3

4

5


http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/entertaining--1.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/entertaining--1.htmlhttp://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtmlhttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/co2-carbon-dioxide-center/15%20ways-to-save-a-buck-and-a-watt/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/co2-carbon-dioxide-center/15%20ways-to-save-a-buck-and-a-watt/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/entertaining--1.html


12/17

no impact experiment | 12thursday: energy

Temperature and LightingIs it getting hot in here? Tie a damp bandannaaround your neck or take a 30-second shower (catchthe water in a bucket and use it to water your window-sill herbs or save it to wet your bandanna later!)

Turn o your A/C and leave your house to cool o.Go outside and enjoy an evening in a park or publicswimming pool. Visit a public space (think: library,museum) that is air-conditioned and interact withyour neighbors while cooling your body.

I its already cool in your corner o the world, cutback on heating by turning your thermostat as low asit can go. I a sweater, wool socks, and earmus keepyou warm outside, they can do the same inside.

Natural dayligh t is the best light, so time your day tomake the most o it: wake up with the sun and go to sleepwhen it sets. Not only will this do away with the need orarticial illumination, it will also leave you well-rested.

I you must be awake when it is dark, a beeswaxcandle is a good choice, especially i you can ndone manuactured locally.

Find out i you can buy green power in your state.

Cooking and Cleaning

Take advantage o the ree solar and wind energyright outside your door dry your clothing on aclothesline or drying rack.Dont have a place tohang your laundry out-side? A drying rack also

works well in the bathtub.Not only will your clothessmell great, they will lastlonger, delaying yourneed to buy replace-ments and thus reducingyour consumption!

Instead o using your

washing machine, washyour clothes grape-stomp-ing style like Colin didduring his No Impact year.

Minimize your need orthe oven and stovetop(and maximize the nutri-ent value o your ood!)by planning meals thatdo not require cooking. Google raw ood and beamazed by the tongue-tantalizing results!

Pretend youre on a camping trip and store yourood or the rest o the week in a cooler or try tomake your own Nigerian Zeer Pot. You can alsokeep greens submerged in water, likeyou keep fowers in a vase, and theylllast longer.

Power Down

Plug your computer and all o its

accessories (printers, scanners, etc.)into a power strip. Shut the powerstrip o when you are done withthe computer to avoid using ghostpower electricity that is usedeven when appliances and electron-ic equipment are not active.

Unplug your TV and cover it with a blanket. Betteryet, Freecycle it away!

For one day, try to useyour laptop only or

work. Call riends tocatch up or spend sometime with a good book.



cool idea #1

New twists on some

old aves. Check outTrevors suggestion or

cooking pasta without

pre-heating or making

your own sun tea with a

homemade solar water

heater.

cool idea #2

The hot water you need

to wash dishes can be

generated by lling

some old jars with water

and sitting them against

a dark background inthe sun all day. You can

make that water even

hotter (and stay hotter

longer) by putting those

glass jars in a solar oven,

which can be built with

things you probably have

lying around the house.

cool idea #3

Burn calories, not elec-tricity. Skip the elevator

and take the stairs.

Ideas for change

THIS WEEKEND YOULL GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. FIND A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY TODAY!

http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/lighting/eco-friendly-interior-lighting-overview/http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/lighting/eco-friendly-interior-lighting-overview/http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/raw-food-recipes.htmlhttp://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/september/refrigeration.htmhttp://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/september/refrigeration.htmhttp://www.freecycle.org/http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/efficiency/default.aspxhttp://www.sierraclub.org/energy/efficiency/default.aspxhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://www.instructables.com/id/The-5-6-Solar-Ovenhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/to-improve-public-health-city-urges-use-of-stairs/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/to-improve-public-health-city-urges-use-of-stairs/http://www.instructables.com/id/The-5-6-Solar-Ovenhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/hot-water-solar-bottle.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/cook-pasta-faster.htmlhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/efficiency/default.aspxhttp://www.freecycle.org/http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/september/refrigeration.htmhttp://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/raw-food-recipes.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtmlhttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/lighting/eco-friendly-interior-lighting-overview/


13/17

We brush our teeth [with] baking sodausing a cup of water (rather than letting

the faucet run). We may or may nottake a bath one at a time in the

same water depending on whether

it is bath day [as] were in the water

conservation stage.

No-Impact-Man-blog,-September 10, 2007

friday:water

your challenge

Soak up the personal benefits of using less water!Youre now six days into the No Impact Experiment.

Having looked at your trash, transportation, ood, consumption, and energy habits, theres one major

daily liestyle change let to tackle water. A whopping 71% o Americans are trying to reduce their

ootprint. Othose 71%, 60% are reducing their water consumption, and saving a lot o money on their

water and electric bill. In this economy, every fush counts! Turn o the tap. Believe us, you'll eel better

about yoursel.


Assess your current water habits rom the momentyou hit the snooze button until bedtime. Calculateyour approximate water ootprint and gure out thewater ootprint o your ood here.

Create a list o the water you will likely consume

today (not exact measurements, just general usage).Think about where you use water: at home, at work,church or school, on the go, and eating out. This willhelp you think about how you use water.

BEGIN! Turn o the aucet. Run the water gentlywhen needed. Soak the dishes. Sponge-bathe.

Ask yoursel throughout the day: What is the hardestpart about reducing the amount o water you use?Are you doing something particularly novel or un toreduce your water consumption? Go to our site and

comment about it, share a short video o a uniquetechnique youve invented or show us some photoso the tools you used to cut back.


steps:

1

2

3

4

5

fyi

The average Ameri-

can uses 1,189 gal-

lons o water per day.

By changing the way

you brush your teeth,

water your lawn or

wash your dishes, inaddition to using e-

cient plumbing xtures and appliances, you can

reduce your water ootprint by 25%


http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/a-day-in-our-li.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/a-day-in-our-li.htmlhttp://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/poll-americans-carbon-footprint-44081108http://www.waterfootprint.org/index.php?page=cal/waterfootprintcalculator_indv_exthttp://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-water-footprint-of-your-food.phphttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/landscaping-and-outdoors/water-conservation-advice/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/landscaping-and-outdoors/water-conservation-advice/http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-water-footprint-of-your-food.phphttp://www.waterfootprint.org/index.php?page=cal/waterfootprintcalculator_indv_exthttp://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/poll-americans-carbon-footprint-44081108http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/a-day-in-our-li.html


14/17

no impact experiment | 14friday: water

Ideas for change

In The KitchenI you dont own a dishwasher or just have a smallload to wash, ll one side o the sink with hot, soapywater. Stack your dishes and let them soak so thatyou use less water and less eort. Then load into anin-sink rack, and rinse by pouring hot water over thetop or using your sinks spray nozzle. I youre usinga dishwasher, wait until you have a ull load to run it,and use the energy-saving setting, o course.

Reuse all cooking water or making soups, stocks,and other dishes, as well as rinsing produce, water-ing houseplants, andwashing pets.

Reuse the same glassthroughout the day insteado dirtying up several.

In the Bathroom

Take shorter showers. Set a timer.

Take colder showers! Its good or your skin, circula-

tion, and better than coee in the morning!

Sponge-bathe: Use a washcloth. Youll exoliate atthe same time. This is great as a reresher at the endo a sticky summer day too.

I you dont have a low-fow toilet, set a plasticbottle lled with water inyour toilet tank to reducethe amount o waterused per fush.

Turn o the aucet when

brushing your teeth orshaving.

Only fush i you must. Iits yellow, let it mellow!and then fush with watersaved in a bucket duringyour shower.

Wash ItWash clothes with ullloads or set the waterlevel to the appropriateamount o clothing.

In a twin-tub washingmachine, reuse rinsewater or several loads.

I your washing machine drains into a sink, use thedrained water or plant-watering and toilet-fushing.

Going Out

In restaurants, only order water i youre going to drink it.

On that note, drink waterinstead o other beverages!Its the least processed drinkyou can consume, andactually uses less water(and energy) to produceand transport than anyother drink.

Ask or tap rather than bottled water. Did you knowthat youre spending 1,000 times more or bottled?Thats crazy.

Carry around a reusable drink container. Fill, drinkand repeat. Help others break their bottled waterhabits by downloading and sharing Food and WaterWatchs Smart Water Guide.



cool idea #2

Calculate your water

ootprint.

1 lb plastic = 24 gallonso water

1 lb cotton > 100 gallons

o water

Do you know how much

water you really use?

Calculate your water

ootprint using H2O

Conserves water oot-

print calculator.

cool idea #1

Gather spring water! Spring

water is delicious, chemi-

cal- and hormone-ree,

and un to collect! Find a

spring in your area.

cool idea #4

Pledge to stop buying

bottled water. Make a

promise to yoursel, the

world, and uture gen-

erations.

cool idea #3

During Colins No Impact

year, his amily washedtheir clothes by lling up

a bathtub with water, us-

ing a method very similar

to grape-stomping in

Italy. Check out his blog

post or more about this

experiment!

http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/water-fixtures-and-plumbing/water-wise-toilets/http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/SmartWaterCard.pdfhttp://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/SmartWaterCard.pdfhttp://www.h2oconserve.org/?page_id=3&pd=tiphttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://www.findaspring.com/http://www.findaspring.com/http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/fwwatch/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=569http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/a_grape_stomper.htmlhttp://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/fwwatch/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=569http://www.findaspring.com/http://www.findaspring.com/http://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://www.h2oconserve.org/wc.php?pd=cahttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.h2oconserve.org/?page_id=3&pd=tiphttp://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/SmartWaterCard.pdfhttp://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/SmartWaterCard.pdfhttp://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/water-fixtures-and-plumbing/water-wise-toilets/


15/17

Make a list o all the ways you contribute to your

community now. Do you watch your neighborskids or ree? Whens the last time you held open adoor or a stranger? Do you write checks to charityor volunteer on occasion? How can you step upwhat youre already doing and do more? Whereare you on this pyramid?

But the final stage was to me themost important. In the giving back

stage, I volunteered with environmental

organizations. The nal stage was

not about conservation. It was about

innovation. And it was in this stage that

I met new people and made the most

friends. It was here that the people were

most excited. It was not about doing

less harm. It was about doing more

good. It was less about limits and more

about possibility.

-No-Impact-Man-blog,-July 22, 2008

saturday:givingback

your challenge

steps:

Pay it forward. Feel the benefits of service.Welcome to day seven and the weekend, baby!

By now, youve probably slaughtered some o your carbon ootprint trading in some gas guzzling or

sweat equity, phasing out prepackaged processed ood or delicious local dishes, shopping less and

saving more, turning down the lights, and quenching your thirst with tap water while lightening your

planetary load. Pat yoursel on the back or coming this ar and do a little dance: its time to share some

o your exuberance with others!

By giving back, you slow down and appreciate what you have. The conversation and community that

you will experience will give you that all-important, essential nutrient: happiness. Challenge yoursel

today to be charitable, to act in good aith, to become one with others. Ultimately, you will not only

be giving back youll be getting back. Today and tomorrow are interchangeable. I today is your

regular day o rest, switch todays challenge Giving Back with tomorrows Eco-Sabbath.


1

fyi

More than 30 peer-reviewed, longitudinal studies

have ound a strong

connection between

volunteering and a

decreased risk o heart

disease, lower rates

o depression, and

greater longevity.

Annually: Write a check

Monthly: Volunteer

Weekly: Donate time tomore than one project

Leader: Run an

ongoing project

Career:Work or anonprot

pyramid (lowest to highest impact)


http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/conservation-ve.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/conservation-ve.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/conservation-ve.html


16/17

no impact experiment | 16saturday: givingback

Ideas for change

steps continued:

2

3

Pay it Forward

Tithe your income. Dedicate a xed percentage o

your gross income toward charity. When you alignyour values with your actions put your moneywhere your mouth is your lie is enhanced.

Practice random acts o kindness. Pick up litter aroundyour school or church. Give up your seat or a personcarrying groceries. Shovelsomeones sidewalk.Install a low-fow showerhead or an elderly riend.Little altruistic things add

up and eel oh-so-good!Celebrate Earth Dayevery day. Show kidshow to garden organically. Answer phones or a localeco-charity. Plant a tree. Live in New York? Find avolunteer opportunity through IOBY. Outside o New

York, go toVolunteerMatch or Idealist to nd a wayto improve your community. Discover new riends

Make a list with three columns: 1) all the charitiesyoud love to help out, 2) why you eel you cant,

and 3) how you can address and remove thosebarriers. Do your barriers as legitimate as theymay seem to you outweigh the importance oparticipating? Remember: you neednt becomean activist or even a leader to be active in yourcommunity! Simply participating in an ongoingproject is giving back and living your values.

Practice what you preach. Give. Do. Help. Change.In other words, sign up today to volunteer or alocal environmental cause.

How do you eel? As you give back throughoutthe day, ask yoursel what benets arise rom

volunteering. Did you meet your neighbors? Findcommon ground with strangers? Evaluate thehardest obstacles youve aced today and sharepossible solutions with the No Impact Experimentcommunity online. Talk it out.


4

5

with shared interests and

eel good about doinggood while youre at it.

Look on Twitter or a communitygroup in your area that tweetsabout one-day volunteer projects. Some good ex-amples are: San Diego, volunteersd, Toronto, volun-teerTO, and Boston, GlobeDoGood.

I your employer doesn't have an organized volun-teer program, try to start one.

Take a volunteer vacation with the Sierra Club.

Whether its maintaining your avorite trail, remov-ing invasive species, or helping to restore importantlandmarks, youll eel great, make new riends, andkeep your avorite outdoor places beautiul and ac-cessible to everyone.



cool idea #1

Got a kid in school?

Help them orm a Pay It

Forward Club.

http://www.plantabillion.org/http://www.ioby.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.idealist.org/http://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://twitter.com/volunteersdhttp://twitter.com/VolunteerTOhttp://twitter.com/VolunteerTOhttp://twitter.com/GlobeDoGoodhttp://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-jarvis/innovative-thinking-corporate-volunteering/start-corporate-volunteering-program-w-0http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/service.aspxhttp://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-volunteering/http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-volunteering/http://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://www.payitforwardmovement.org/programs.htmlhttp://www.payitforwardmovement.org/programs.htmlhttp://www.payitforwardmovement.org/programs.htmlhttp://www.payitforwardmovement.org/programs.htmlhttp://noimpactproject.org/change/story/http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-volunteering/http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/service.aspxhttp://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-jarvis/innovative-thinking-corporate-volunteering/start-corporate-volunteering-program-w-0http://twitter.com/GlobeDoGoodhttp://twitter.com/VolunteerTOhttp://twitter.com/VolunteerTOhttp://twitter.com/volunteersdhttp://www.sierraclub.org/noimpacthttp://www.idealist.org/http://www.volunteermatch.org/http://www.ioby.org/http://www.plantabillion.org/


17/17

How do you usually spend your day o? Consider

how dierent i at all this day will be.

Plan your day: how do you need to prepare so thatyou dont use any o your appliances, electronics,motorized transport, or money?

Stop everything.

Tie up your week; look back at your grateul listsand count the number o times you listed a consum-able item (something that you buy). How did youeel and what did you learn rom making this list

everyday? Remember the bag o trash you collectedlast Sunday? Take that bag out and take the otherbag o trash mistakes that youve been collectingthroughout the week. Empty the contents. Did youcreate more or less trash over the week?

Join a Whats Your Tree (WYT) Group. Foundedby Julia Butterfy Hill, WYT is building a movemento people who are meaningully engaged in socialchange projects all over the world. Through a serieso small group meetings, you will clariy how to takeaction consistent with your purpose

For one day or afternoonor even one hour a week, dont buy

anything, dont use any machines,

dont switch on anything electric, dontcook, dont answer your phone, and,

in general, dont use any resources.

In other words, for this regular period,

give yourself and the planet a break. Keep

your regular Eco-Sabbath for a month.

Youll nd that the enforced downtime

represents an improvement to your life.

No-Impact-Man-blog,-May 29, 2009

sunday: eco-sabbath

your challenge

steps:

Take a break from everything. Ohm Shanti.This week you have phased out trash, unsustainable transportation, and consumption.

Youve behaved more eco-consciously about your energy usage, water usage, and ood habits.

You have contributed your time to a good cause. You have truly embarked on a special journey!

Today, Sunday, is about awareness and taking some time back or yoursel. This is a chance to lay o the

lights, televisions, computers, appliances, cell phones, fashing gadgets, and other stu that seems to

make the world go round. Its a special time to hang out (or in) by yoursel or with riends and amily. Itis a time to refect on the well-being o yoursel and the planet. This rst Eco-Sabbath you may wish to

refect on your No Impact week. Consider what worked well or you, what was particularly dicult, and

what youd like to permanently adopt. Consider how you can go even urther. Think about how your

week aected others in your lie and what adjustments, i any, are in order. This is a time to discover and

appreciate the bare necessities.

fyi

Item #3 on No Impact Mans Top Ten Eco-Lie-

style Changes is Observe an Eco-Sabbath.

Ecology The interrelationship between

organisms and their environment

Sabbath A time o rest

Eco-Sabbath Together, you and the

environment take a break

12

34

5

http://www.whatsyourtree.org/http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/no-impact-mans-top-ten-ecolifestyle-changes.htmlhttp://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/no-impact-mans-top-ten-ecolifestyle-changes.htmlhttp://www.whatsyourtree.org/

no impact week how to manual2

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