NAOMI LYNCH
Staff Writer
In last week’s article, I reported on the “No Impact Man” documentary that featured a couple and their child living a life of minimal impact for a year.
Since I talked the talk, it’s time for me to walk the walk: could I live a week the way Colin Beavan lived for a year whilst maintaining my already insane college lifestyle?
Sunday – Consumption
Objectives:
1. see how much trash you gather in a day
2. don’t shop for new items
3. buy all the food you’ll need for the week
Okay, let’s be real. I’m a sleep-deprived college student who eats any food within reach. You know the Freshman 15? I gained the Freshman 30. No shame, though. I bought a few skillet meals from Walmart, and I hope I don’t crack and buy more food because I love my weekly wings from Maria’s. The specifications of this project do say I need to do this to the best of my ability … I’m trying to make sure I don’t crack. Here’s to Monday!
Monday – Trash
Objectives:
1. stop making trash
2. assemble a “no-trash travel kit”
Stop making trash? How? Trash is an integral part of, y’know, everyday life. It’s so cold outside, and I don’t have space in my bag to carry around extra items, so instead of carrying around a no-trash travel kit, I’m reusing the same utensils I started the day with. I’ve used the same fork five times, which is interesting. That could have easily been five forks in the trash. Also, I can eat yogurt with a fork. I feel so clever.
Tuesday – Transportation
Objectives:
1. don’t drive — carpool, walk, use the bus, etc.
I already take the campus bus because I don’t have a car. I feel like a champion. I’m not a big fan of Fredonia on Ice, and I was happy that I caught both buses on time because I wasn’t trying to go for the gold today. I tried to go the majority of the day without meat (in preparation for tomorrow) and my body was not having it. I was a zombie in most of my classes, so by the time I went to my afternoon class, I had a hamburger and I felt like a glorified superhero in spandex. I did buy some wings later in the day. I walked past Maria’s, and my legs led me inside. I’m so ashamed.
Wednesday – Food
Objectives:
1. change your diet — eat veggies or reduce your meat intake
2. go to a farmer’s market and buy locally and organically
3. keep track of your food choices
Fresh from the shame of yesterday’s gluttonous consumptions, I’ve decided to only have meat once a day. My inner goddess is not pleased. I had a salad bowl from El Diablo Azul with double steak because steak is life. Since I do not have a car, I can’t pop over at a farmer’s market, as I am sure none are within reach of the campus bus. It’s too icy to travel too far beyond the boundaries of the bus. I mostly ate fruit, yogurt and fries. I am hungry. Hopefully, this is just a learning pain.
Thursday – Energy
Objectives:
1. unplug! power down everything and see what happens
Realistically, I can’t power down the way Colin did during the experiment. I need to blog this assignment and write this article because it isn’t going to write itself. I did charge everything up and unplug everything except my laptop — the battery is really old, and it can’t survive being unplugged more than a hour. I left my chargers at home, and when my phone died when I was on campus, I felt odd not hearing the normal “buzz buzz” of my best friend asking where I am. I knew my phone was dead, but I kept checking it because I heard a ghost vibration. I didn’t know I was that plugged into the world. I ended up putting my iPad on airplane mode for the rest of the day, and I appreciated the silence.
Friday – Water
Objectives:
1. consume/use as minimal water as possible
2. no showers: sponge-bathe
3. make a list of all the times you use water daily
That sponge bath? Nah. Wasn’t happening. I’ve been on my feet for more than twelve hours, and when I came home, I hibernated. I like the idea of doing that, but maybe in the summer. There are just certain things you can’t do in a Western New York winter. Sponge bathing is one of them. I used one cup of water to brush my teeth. I can’t control toilet water, so I have no solid numbers on that, but the only other water I used was the tap water to hydrate myself.
Saturday – Giving Back
Objectives:
1. contribute to the community
When I saw this part of the experiment, I was concerned because I don’t do a lot of eco-friendly things. Does recycling really count, since that’s a passive action? However, I realize I do little actions like holding the door open for people, picking up trash I see lying around … I even washed a friend’s dishes once. While my contributions may not be on a grand scale, as long as I continue to do small things, they’ll add up. I’ll eventually do something grand, but I’ll need a car!
Sunday – Eco-Sabbath
Objectives:
1. turn everything off and enjoy a day of rest!
Well, I have to finish this article, so I can’t rest until I complete this. The only light source I have is the sun streaming through my window, since Daylight Savings Time is officially over. I am so excited! Fredonia is melting and the sun is back for good. I think I’m going to take a nice long stroll (with my winter boots on, of course). This week was a very interesting experiment because I was forced out of my comfort zone, and I plan on doing this again during the summer.
Want to live your own, college-friendly No Impact Week? Curious to know how the students of Biology 115 and Communication 321 survived their own No Impact Weeks? Stay tuned for the final piece of the No Impact Series, coming your way in the next issue of The Leader!