Day 8 - Eco-Sabbath

I have reached the final day of No Impact Week. Over the last seven days, I have become more conscious about my consumption of goods, water, food, energy and motorized transportation. The purpose of this final day is to rest as well as reflect upon my journey in creating a smaller impact on the Earth.

Here are my guidelines for Eco-Sabbath day:

• How do you usually spend your day off? Consider how different— if at all— this day will be.

• Plan your day: how do you need to prepare so that you don't use any of your appliances, electronics, motorized transport, or money?

• Stop everything.

• 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 everyday? Remember the bag of trash you collected last Sunday? Take that bag out and take the other bag of “mistakes” that you've been collecting throughout the week. Empty the contents. Did you create more or less trash over the week?

• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

First, I laughed out loud at today's first guideline because I usually do not take a day off. In fact, I work everyday of the week on schoolwork. However, I do try to not work as hard on the weekends, if possible. Thus today will be quite different because I planned ahead to not work at all this week. This is partially due to my slightly lighter load of coursework as well.

With the recognition that I will not work today, I have planned ahead as best I can so that I do not need to use appliances, electronics, motorized transport or money. First of all, I cannot completely follow today's instructions because I have to drive back to Wofford this afternoon. But, I have planned out this trip out in advance. I am carpooling with my roommates and driving slower in order to conserve gas. Besides driving, I will not use any of modern conveniences. I plan on relaxing and spending time with my family for the day.

Looking back over this past week, I discovered that only one item that I am grateful for are consumable items. I think this is a sign that what is most important in life is not goods but relationships. This reinforces the message of Sunday and Monday that goods and items, part of the Materials Economy, do not add value to life but consume time, energy and attention. The fact that most of my “grateful” lists include indispensable elements in my life like relationships makes me feel good about myself. For this reason, I feel that, at least on some level, am not too wrapped up in our society's consumerist mindset. For that, I want to give myself a pat on the back.

I also opened up my bag of trash from last week and compared it to my “oops” trash I made during this week. I definitely produced less trash this week. The only items that I ended up placing in the trash can are paper items such as mail and fliers I received. I also acquired a few items of food-related waste as well with wrappers.  I did my best to avoid this, and overall did a great job.  In my opinion, I feel that I had no choice but to acquire the paper trash. I did reuse these items as as scratch paper first which makes me feel more justified in creating this trash.

To close, this past week has been eye-opening. I have gained insight on ways that I am and ways that I am not living in harmony with the environment. With this new-found knowledge, I look forward to adjusting my lifestyle to be a better citizen towards the planet.

Here are my final five things for which I am grateful:

• participating in the No Impact Challenge
• learning from the No Impact Challenge
• my optimism
• the support from my friends and family this past week
• the Facebook post from one of my best friends checking up on me

Thank you for following me the past week on my journey with the No Impact Challenge. I hope that by sharing my thoughts and experiences, you too have also benefited.

Best regards,

Krista

Day 7 - Giving Back

Today begins the weekend and also my time to give back to my community. The purpose of today is to slow down, appreciate what I have in my life and the accomplishments I have made. Also, my task today is to return some of the happiness I have experienced to my surrounding community.

Keeping these thoughts in mind, my new tasks are to:

• Make a list of all the ways you contribute to your community now. Do you watch your neighbor's kids for free? When's 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? Where are you on this pyramid?

• Make a list with three columns: 1) all the charities you'd love to help out, 2) why you feel you can't, and 3) how you can address and remove those barriers. Do your barriers— as legitimate as they may seem to you— outweigh the importance of participating? Remember: you needn't become an activist or even a leader to be active in your community! Simply participating in an ongoing project is giving back and living your values.

• Practice what you preach. Go. Do. Help. Change. In other words, sign up today to volunteer for an environmental cause.

• 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 the No Impact Experiment community.

• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

Here is my list of ways I currently contribute to my community:

• tithe to my church
• volunteer with Salkehatchie Summer Service
• volunteer with HomeWorks of America, Inc.

I recognize that this list is short. Since coming to Wofford, I had to cut back on volunteering in order to keep up with school. I look forward to increasing my volunteer and contribution time soon! I do not think that there are ways in which I can increase what I am already doing due to my limited income and that both the organizations that I listed above only run during certain dates. In relation to the pyramid, I currently fall in the first and second layer (Annually writing a check and volunteering monthly). I understand this pyramid is constructed to show how each individual can increase their contribution to the community, but I feel that with my given circumstances I cannot do any more. I appreciate this breakdown because now I have a goal to work towards after I finish my studies at Wofford in the next few weeks.

The next step of today's guidelines are to fill in the following table:

All charities I'd love to help out	Why I feel that I cannot help out	How I can address and remove these barriers
Hatcher Gardens & Woodland Preserve	Time	Lighten my schedule
Ashland UMC, my church	Distance and time	Move back to Columbia; lighten my schedule
Heifer Project	Money	Manage my budget better
ESOL classes	Time	Lighten my schedule

After looking at my filled-in chart, I do not think that my answer is what this experiment wants when it asks “Do your barriers outweigh the importance of participating?” For me, yes, my barriers do outweigh participating in my community. While in college, I am placing school as my top priority. I have learned that in order to perform my best, I have little time to no time to do things other than study. What time I do not study I set aside for personal time. I look forward to this reality changing in the next month when I graduate.

The one item in this chart that I do feel I can change is providing additional funds to charities. By organizing my spending habits a little better, I know I can set aside money to help my community.

As the challenge of today is to give back to your community, I did just that! This weekend I came home for Easter. (Don't worry, I carpooled with my roommate and went the speed limit to conserve gas). As my church is one of the communities that I am closest with, I chose to volunteer with the Saturday Easter Egg Hunt. I recognize that helping at an Easter Egg Hunt may not be the most environmentally themed option, but I felt that this is where I was most needed today. In fact, upon my arrival, I was given a job before entering the building. My jtask was to lead the 3 year old group and their parents on their search for eggs. I had a great time! It was rewarding to guide the young egg-hunters and facilitate the event. I think my favorite part was watching the parents and grandparents encourage their children to pick up eggs and take their photographs. 

My roommate, myself, and church friend, Robert, at the Easter Egg Hunt

While an Easter Egg Hunt is not at first glance an environmental cause, I do think that it supports many values that the environmental movement encourages, the main one being community. During this event, people from the church and surrounding neighborhood came together for one special day. By sharing the commonalty of their children hunting Easter Eggs, I feel that every person present gained a sense of common identity and a positive outlook on the surrounding area.

For me, the hardest obstacle today was reconciling with myself that volunteering with my church was the right choice for No Impact Week. I was afraid that at the end of the day I would be disappointed I did not follow the project's guidelines. But, as I said above, I think my choice was the right one for today because my presence and help were needed. Also, after some contemplation, I realized that my work today was environmental in that it supports a community in a sustainable capacity. The church both needs the help of those around it and also gives to those around it. What a wonderful feedback loop!

To close, I'll share another five things for which I am grateful:

• Easter Egg Hunts
• the optimism of children
• my church family
• being home today
• my family understanding and supporting me for No Impact Week

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 6 - Water

Today marks the last monumental lifestyle change with No Impact Week— water. It's amazing to think that so much of our lives revolve around the simple molecule H₂0. All our food needs water to grow. Our health requires us to consume large amounts of water. In fact, over 90 percent of our bodies are made up of water. Water is, in the true essence of the phrase, the foundation of life.

Looking at planet Earth, the majority of the surface is blue. One of the most visually recognized images that conveys our planet's large quantity of water is “Earthrise.” This photograph was taken by astronaut William Anders on the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve of 1968.

"Earthrise," 1968 (photo by William Anders)

While Earth is largely comprised of water, correctly earning the title of blue marble, we are experiencing water shortages. Rodney R. White explains the Earth's water situation eloquently in his book North, South and the Environmental Crisis (1993):

Globally there is no shortage of water per se. The problem is the cost of making water available at a particular place...Roughly, of the world's total water only three percent is fresh, and of that three percent less than one percent is available at the surface...Of the water that is available at the surface, about half is cycling through the atmosphere (Environment: an Interdisciplinary Anthology).

With this knowledge, it becomes clear that we as a whole need to use water in an efficient and conscious manner. In the United States, I think it is difficult to understand this reality that White shares because we do not experience water shortages.

In my times abroad I have experienced these water shortages first-hand. During my sophomore year, I went to the Bahamas with Habitat for Humanity over spring break. While the island of Nassau is surrounded the the Caribbean, it lacks sufficient potable water. In fact, it is brought in offshore daily. Most days while I was there my shower either put out a trickle of water or none at all. From that experience, I came to value the priceless role of water and realize it is indispensable.

Keeping these thoughts in mind, my new tasks are to:

• Assess your current water habits from the moment you hit the snooze button until bedtime. Calculate your approximate water footprint and figure out the water foodprint of your food. 
   
• Create a list of the water that 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 will help you think about how you use water.

• Begin! Turn off the faucet. Run the water gently when needed. Soak the dishes. Sponge bathe.

• 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 water consumption?

• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

As instructed, I calculated my water footprint online (http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator). According to the online calculator, I consume 887 cubic meters per year. Of this figure, 554 cubic meters comes from the meat I consume.

I also calculated the the water footprint of my food separately (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-water-footprint-of-your-food.php). This second website did not have a calculator but instead listed most food items and how much water they require. Some of the items that I usually eat include:

• 1 pound of lettuce— 15 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of tomatoes— 22 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of wheat bread— 154 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of rice— 403 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of chocolate— 2,847 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of eggs— 573 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of chicken— 815 gallons of water
  
• 1 pound of pork— 1630 gallons of water
  
• 8 ounces of tea— 7 gallons
  
• 8 ounces of coffee— 29 gallons
  

After calculating my water footprint and my food waterprint, I then made a general list of all the water I anticipated to consume over the day. Here is what I came up with:

• showering
  
• washing hands
  
• brushing teeth
  
• washing dishes
  
• drinking water
  
• toilet flushing
  
• food consumption
  

While this list is not as long as I anticipated, I realize after calculating my water footprint that each of these uses of water add up, especially food. On that note, I think that one of the many reasons that we as a society do not realize the amount of water we use is because we do not visually see the amount of water required for us to perform basic functions like those I listed above. In other words, we do not see the entire water process such as the purification and treatment phases. Perhaps by educating ourselves more about the cycle of water in general and how we use it we will become more conscious and concerned about this invaluable resource.

Of the course of the day, I found reducing my water use both easy and difficult. To begin, I found it easy because many ways that I have used water are wasteful, such as letting the water run while washing dishes or my hands. Therefore, it was easy to curtail how much water I used today in this regard.

However, reducing my water use was extremely difficult for me in other ways, mainly with showering. For me, showers are a source of stress relief. It is often while under the shower head that I have my “ah ha” breakthroughs and my “ahh” calming time. With the spring semester coming to a close and assignments climbing, I find myself becoming more stressed. Curtailing my first go-to source for relaxation has been difficult. However, I have done my best to cut-down on my shower time today and must say that I am proud of my six minute shower. While still considering lengthy by some, it is a start!

Thank you for reading about my adventures today. I'll close with another five things for which I am grateful:

• the opportunity to shower
  
• the availability of fresh, potable water
  
• naps
  
• my creativity to search for new sources of stress relief besides showering
  
• my roommates
  

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 5 - Energy

Today marks the arrival at the fifth day of No Impact Week. Yay! My new challenge is to lessen my impact through energy use.

Throughout this semester, my Environmental senior seminar class has discussed energy in multiple capacities. For one of our first class meetings we read the article “Hydrocarbons in North America” by J. David Hughes which informs the reader about the United States' current energy situation. Hughes' article says that “North America's massive energy diet is largely made up of hydrocarbons— a full 83 percent comes from oil, gas, and coal, and if we include nuclear energy, 91 percent comes from nonrenewable fuel sources” (Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century's Sustainability Crisis).

As society grows we increase our use of these hydrocarbons. The result is that our dependency on its suppliers also increase. In fact, the United States requires international trade to meet its energy needs. This dependency is unhealthy, to say the least. Check out the video below from Bill Moyer's Journal which shows the dependency we have on foreign energy sources in the Middle East.

So, my new challenges beginning today include:

• Assess current energy consumption habits. Walk from 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 any item that you would ordinarily use in the remaining four day of your No Impact Experiment.

• 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 online.

• Unplug! Turn it off. Power down. Go off the grid. For the truly adventurous, turn off your electricity completely and see what happens.

• Ask yourself throughout the day: What is the hardest part about reducing the amount of energy you use?

• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

The first thing I did today was assess my current energy use habits. As directed, I went from room to room in my apartment to see what items I use that require energy. I also noted what type of energy each of these items require and starred items that I ordinarily use. Beside each starred item, I note how I will lessen my energy use with this item either by 1) mitigating or 2) eliminating. Below are my results.

• Bedroom: alarm clock (AA battery)* mitigate
• Bedroom: wall clock (AA battery)* eliminate
• Bedroom: lamp (electricity)
• Bedroom: PC (electricity)* mitigate
• Bedroom: cell phone charger (electricity)* mitigate
• Bedroom: mini-fridge (electricity)
• Bedroom: overhead light (electricity)* mitigate
• Bathroom: hairdryer (electricity)* mitigate
• Bathroom: overhead lights (electricity)* mitigate
• Kitchen: overhead lights (electricity)* eliminate
• Kitchen: stove and oven (electricity)* mitigate
• Kitchen: microwave (electricity)
• Kitchen: refrigerator (electricity)* mitigate

• Living room: TV & DVD player (electricity)
• Living room: overhead lights (electricity)* mitigate
• Living room: 2 lamps (electricity)

Since putting the challenge to mitigate and eliminate energy into effect, I directly experienced the difficulty to maintain my lifestyle. So many items that I starred I do not know how to survive without. My alarm clock is vital. Without my computer, I could not get any work done or access the Internet (as I am doing right now). All the starred kitchen related appliances let me eat. I suppose from one perspective I have a long way to go in lessening my environmental impact. On the other hand, my results show me that society has become accustomed to consuming energy. Thus, I can now see on a personal level what Bill Moyers is pointing out in the above video for our entire country. We as a whole are a nation dependent on energy. As energy resources are depleting, we must learn to adapt in order to survive and end situations like those currently taking place in the Middle East.

In addition to that observation, I have also noticed that the greatest challenge of today's task is to find a substitute of energy consuming items that meet the same function. I know to a large degree, I am unable to see solutions because I am engrossed in my present lifestyle. But, I do see a few possibilities such as letting my hair dry naturally and eating foods that do not require cooking. I've also come to realize that I do not always need to flip the light switch. Natural sunlight is a great source of light.

At the same time, some solutions would require consuming in order to substitute my current items for new ones. One that I have thought about during today is purchasing a wind-up clock. While this solution would answer today's challenge, it goes against Sunday's consumption challenge. It is amazing how interconnected all these issues are and how one solution may lead you to the next one to solve.

To close today, I will share with you five more things for which I am grateful:

• my dog, Sally, being with me since I was eight years old
• the ability to read and write
• being able to speak in English and Spanish
• my church family at Ashland UMC
• the Environmental Studies program at Wofford College

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 4 - Food

Greetings! Today's challenge is to lessen my impact through food consumption. As the No Impact Challenge points out, eating habits are one of the largest environmental impacts in which every individual has an influence. For more context, one only needs to look at our globe's population. Currently Earth's population is around 6,928,198,253 people (CIA World Factbook). Assuming each person eats only one meal a day, that is 48,497,387,770 meals in a week and 2,521,864,164,000 in a year.

In addition to our ritual food consumption, with food we also impact the globe through our energy use. With globalization, we continue acquiring food from further distances. As John Hendrickson points out in his article, the average food item travels 1,500 miles to reach the plate (“Energy use in the US Food System: A Summary of existing research and analysis”). In a society with climbing fuel prices the great trek of our food does not seem to me the wisest use of our resources. Further, purchasing our food from far distant locations takes money away from our local food sources such as farmers and farmers markets.

Keeping these ideas in mind, my new challenges beginning today are the following:

• Take your food list from yesterday and calculate your carbon footprint (http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/). Did you eat anything grown within 250 miles? Find out what's in season locally. How much non-organic meat and dairy products did you consume? How much packaged food did you buy? Chose five items from yesterday that were not produced locally and try swapping them out for items that are produced locally.

• This week change your diet. Try veganism, eating locally, eating organically or simply reducing the amount of meat you consume. Since you aren't buying packaged products (which create trash), your choices may be easier than you think.

• Dig in! Bicycle to a farmer's market. Learn some new recipes. Invite friends over for a potluck.

• Keep track of your food choices. Ask yourself throughout the day: what are the most challenging aspects of adjusting your food habits?

• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

First thing I did today was calculate my “foodprint” from my diet yesterday. Below are my results.

• Breakfast: Life cereal and soy milk – 1224 CO₂e points

• Lunch: Turkey sandwich with tomato on wheat bread – no data available

• Supper: Spaghetti (noodles, hamburger meat, canned sauce, onion and Italian spices) – no data available

Unfortunately, the website that the No Impact Week manual provided does not have a wide variety of food options. Thus, I was only able to calculate my breakfast consisting of cereal and milk. Based upon the high carbon dioxide output, I can deduce that the rest of my meals produced similar environmental impacts.

In addition to calculating the carbon dioxide output, I can also determine how environmentally friendly my food choices are based on their travel distance. The only articles of food I know to be local (travel distance less than 250 miles) are the tomato, hamburger meat and onion. The tomato and onion I purchased at Bellews Market, a local produce stand in Spartanburg, SC. The hamburger meat was venison harvested in Winnsboro, SC. All other food I ate was packaged, processed and shipped long distances. I do not know the exact mileage but I deduce that since the brand names are from big corporations located across the country that they trekked far. Regardless, these items (bought previously) all were packaged and for that reason will not be replaced this week because I am not producing trash.

In light of today's challenges, I went to Bellews Market (carpooling) to purchase local food. I bought onions, bush beans, zucchini, squash and tomatoes. With my local venison, I cooked a stir-fry meal of vegetables and hamburger meat. I found this meal to be enjoyable. The food was flavorful and fresh. Best of all, this food was local and cheaper! Further, I made enough for leftovers tomorrow.

In addition to this meal, I also kept track of my food choices as directed by the No Impact guidelines. I ate a tomato sandwich for lunch. The tomato was locally grown. The sandwich bread however, was not. I chose to still use the bread though so it would not go to waste and also because I do not know where to buy local bread nearby. For supper, I ate the stir-fry described above. Based upon today only, I think the most difficult challenge of eating locally is finding the foods you want and need at a reasonable price. All the foods that I did buy locally were actually cheaper. Those I did not, such as bread, I do not know where to buy. Also, homemade and gourmet breads I have seen in the past tend to have higher prices. Still being in college, I have trouble justifying purchasing some of these food items that are local simply because I cannot afford them.

As the guidelines warned, today was a difficult challenge. Eating is a ritual activity and thus creates habits. Today shed light on some of those. I had to cut out my typical breakfast (cereal and milk) as well as inexpensive sandwich meat in order to be a “localvore.” While supporting local food is great, I think there needs to be additional incentives to make it more available such as lower prices and greater availability. For example, many produce items like bananas are readily available in grocery stores are inexpensive and also not grown locally. While an individual can substitute for a local fruit, the cost may be higher and thus make this change impossible.

In his article “Getting Fossil Fuels Off the Plate,” Michael Bomford points out that while eating local is good, we need to take an additional step. He says that “how food travels is much more important, from an energy perspective, than how far it travels” The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century's Sustainability Crisis) He goes on to illustrate this point with bananas. “Far less energy is needed to import bananas by boat than to fly fresh from the same tropical starting point. A quick jaunt in the SUV to fetch a few of those bananas at the grocery store two miles down the road uses more fuel per banana than the journey of thousands of miles over water that brought them from their tropical home” (The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century's Sustainability Crisis).

I think what Bombord asserts in his article is noteworthy. Eating local is great. The food is fresher, can require less energy and supports the local economy. Yet, we also need to keep in mind that how we acquire our food, near or far, can produce high energy costs. I do not have an answer of how to assimilate being a “localvore” and eating low-energy food from long distances, but I think they are both valid points that our society will continue to encounter.

To close today's blog entry, I will share another five things for which I am grateful.

• My soon graduation from Wofford College
  
• Talking with my aunt yesterday
  
• No headaches the past few days
  
• Freedom to choose my future
  
• Seeing my extended family in the next month
  

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 3 - Transportation

Greetings! Today marks one quarter of No Impact Week accomplished. Hooray! The next challenge is to change my mode of transportation. The purpose of re-structuring how I go from place to place is to limit the fossil fuels many modes of transportation require. Instead, my principal modes of transit will be walking, biking, scootering, etc.

I think this challenge will be one of the most difficult of my No Impact Week simply because motorized transportation is part of my lifestyle. To go to the grocery store, eat out, visit the park, bathe in the atmosphere of Spartanburg's Coffee Bar or Barnes & Noble, or even visit home, I drive. In part, I feel that heavy vehicle use is due to our city and town design. The United States was built to travel by vehicle. Warren Karlenzig points this out in his article, “The Death of Sprawl,” when he says that “exurbs are designed almost exclusively for cars” (The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century's Sustainability Crisis). The more I think about it, there are few locations I visit without driving (save on Wofford's campus). At the same time, I think we can all make efforts to limit our motorized transportation. On the outset, I think this is the purpose of this No Impact Week challenge.

As part of No Impact Week, I will explore the difficulty of avoiding transit by vehicle. Beginning today, my tasks are to:

• 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? Log onto your local transit authority's website for an online trip planner. Organize a carpool, pick up a bus schedule or tune up your bicycle. 
   
• 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. 
   
• GO! Bike. Walk. Scoot. Glide. Hope on a bus. Carpool. 
   
• 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? 
   
• Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)

As directed by the No Impact Week guidelines, I made a list of all the places I went today. Below is the list and what mode of transportation I typically use.

• Grocery store (Food Lion, Bellew's Market or Wal-Mart)— car 
  
  
• Class— walk 
  
  
• Post Office— walk

Being a college student, I realize that the number of places I must go to are less than the average individual. My principal destinations are class and the grocery store. I already use non-mechanized travel to class and any errands around campus, such as the Post Office. Therefore, the one site that I do visit requiring a car trip is the grocery store. I most often visit Food Lion and Bellew's Market, both of which are less than a three minute drive from campus. Once in a while I venture out to Wal-Mart for the lower prices. In order to limit my motorized transportation this week, I have decided that carpooling is my best option due to my tight schedules with classes and the proximity of the grocery stores I visit. While I would prefer to bike, the four lane road of Pine Street and multiple interchanges and intersections I believe outweigh the perks of cycling for these trips.

The next task for today was to keep a list of everything I ate. The purpose of doing this will help with tomorrow's challenge.

• Breakfast: Life cereal and soy milk
  
  
• Lunch: Turkey sandwich with tomato on wheat bread
  
  
• Supper: Spaghetti (noodles, hamburger meat, canned sauce, onion and Italian spices)

Overall, I do not feel that I made many changes in my transportation. I still walked to every site on campus. Instead of driving to the grocery store, I simply carpooled with roommates. While my change in transportation today was minimal, it still felt good to know that I was making a conscious effort to be impact-free towards the environment. The change may not be large now, but by practicing an environmentally conscious lifestyle in now, I can recall upon it when I live off-campus in the near future.

In addition, I also think as the week progresses I will be able to have more experiences and thoughts to add to this challenge. I will keep you updated as the week continues.

To close, I will share five more things for which I am grateful:

• my support network at Wofford College 
  
  
• my artistic ability 
  
  
• my success as an artist 
  
  
• my mother's outpatient surgery going smoothly
  
  
• having fresh coffee to brew in the morning

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 2 - Waste

The challenge of Day 2 is stop making trash. After reading and researching, I am amazed at the amount of waste produced on a daily basis. Did you know that in the United States each person produced an average of 4.6 pounds of trash per day in 2006? Together, that sums up to 251 million tons of trash (EPA Municipal Solid Waste).

One sign that reflects our high level of waste disposal is the availability of trash receptacles. Wherever we go— home, work, school, the doctor's office, church, restaurants, stores, bathrooms and even walking trails— trash cans are available. The more I think about the opportunities I have to make trash, I realize it is quite easy.

In their article “Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the End of Waste,” Bill Sheehan and Helen Spiegelman note that our “society has evolved to have cities manage our waste. Thus, waste management has become one of the local government's functions” (The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21^st Century's Sustainability Crisis). In short, we have evolved to taking an active role in creating waste. These high levels of waste are concerning. In fact, Sheehan and Spiegelman point out that our throwaway economy is a major contributor to Climate Change.

These facts and figures are alarming. However, sometimes on paper the seriousness of this issue is not conveyed in a way that we can understand. Photographer Chris Jordan has worked to bridge this gap. Between 2003 and 2005, Jordan carried out his project “Intolerable Beauty” where he documented America's consumption. Check out his TED Talk below where he shares his final products. Not all aspects of his project revolve around the theme of waste, but many of them do.  I think you will find, as I did, that visualizing the waste we create is more powerful than reading statistics.

Beginning today, my new tasks are to:

• Empty your trash receptacle 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 that make you feel? (Now put everything back in the bag and put it aside for the week.)

• 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, Tupperware, utensils, and reusable produce bags.

• Stop making trash. Reduce it. Reuse it. Recycle it. Just don't throw it away. Keep a special bag at home or the office to collect trash you make by mistake or necessity throughout the week.

• At the end of the day, take time to reflect upon your discoveries. Answer these questions: What did you put in your special trash bag? Why was it hard or easy not to make trash? Where was it impossible not to make trash?

• Be proud of your efforts and a great start to the week! Write down five things for which you are grateful.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How-To Manual)

After going through my trash I collected together yesterday, I learned that most of my trash is paper that I use for less than 10 minutes. Here's is what I found in my trash:

Trash I used less than 10 minutes:

• 2 paper bags
• 2 envelopes
• 8 receipts
• 5 snack/food wrappers
• 3 post-it notes
• 6 pieces of card stock paper from sale tags or business cards

Trash I used more than 10 minutes:

• 3 pieces of packaging paper for a Valentine's Day chocolate box
• 1 US Post Office receipt with tracking number
• 4 pieces of notebook paper
• 1 post-it note
• 1 to-go menu

Trash I used for less than 10 minutes

Trash I used for more than 10 minutes

The anatomy of my waste basket makes me feel that my principal source of trash is packaging. Each item that I used less than 10 minutes was not designed to be used for a longer period. Rather, their purpose was to encompass another item until it reached its target consumer, me. All of the other items that I did use for a longer period of time had a purpose in themselves, unlike the other group. The one exception is the chocolate box packaging. This trash was used for a longer period of time because I savored the chocolate truffles it held for three months. Besides this exception, all the other pieces of trash in this category held information that I needed. Thus I learned that the more I value a good, the longer its life.

Looking at my trash collection further, I realize how my waste could overall be worse. I do not throw away items in good condition that take up a lot of resources such as electronics. Therefore, on an optimistic note, I what I throw away is not exploiting resources to as bad a degree as it could.

After examining my trash from Sunday, I then put together my no-trash travel kit for the week. In the process, I was excited that I was starting a no-impact foundation that I can carry out for the week that will help me make no (or less) trash. Here's what is in my kit:

• 2 reusable produce bags
• 1 plastic water bottle
• 1 hand towel
• 1 Tupperware container
• 2 reusable grocery shopping bags

Note: I did not include the recommended cutlery because I know that I will be eating all my meals in my apartment. In addition, I also added the reusable shopping bags to my kit so I will not have to bag my groceries in plastic bags.

As I went through the day, I learned that I normally put more items in receptacles that I thought. The main time that I found this natural reaction to dispose was during meals. With almost every item that I eat, I also inherit some packaging. Think about it. If you eat fast food, the inherited waste is a paper bag, sandwich wrapper, ketchup packets, fries box, paper/plastic cup, straw and napkins. If you cook at home, all the ingredients enter the kitchen with packaging. I did not realize until undertaking today's endeavor how difficult it would be to avoid waste.

While it is possible to limit packaging by purchasing in bulk and avoiding overly packaged items, I personally found it to also be unavoidable. When buying meat or any liquid, there is packaging. Further, stores will not let you purchase produce without placing it in their provided plastic bags. I suppose I could completely eliminate food trash, but I would not be able to eat anything except water and fruit. Since I am going to carry out a more balance diet, I will do my absolute best to limit my trash by purchasing in bulk and not consuming individually wrapped items.

What did you put in your special trash bag?

• Soymilk container

I finished the last of my milk this morning. I do not think it would be sanitary to reuse this container.

• Plastic box for chicken

Earlier this week I purchased a large box of chicken to eat with my apartment-mates. We finished the chicken today and I was left with the plastic box. I washed it and am hoping to find a use for it.

• Organic material

For lunch today, I ate a tomato sandwich and chicken. The only leftovers from the tomato was the pith. All that is left of the chicken is the bones. I am unsure what to do with these items because I do not know how to limit waste that is natural and organic. There is no compost project on campus, so I am limited to keeping these items with my trash. I am going to stick them in a separate bag that I can tie up to limit their odor as the week progresses.

Overall, I found it difficult to not make trash today. While I do think it is possible to limit how much trash a person produces, I think I am already at a point where I do not produce a lot. This is not to say that there is not room for improvement in my lifestyle (which there is) but that much of the waste I do make I cannot alter. Further, each item I found myself placing in the receptacle was related to something I ate or packaging. Starting with today, I know that I will be more conscious of what food waste I produce and how I can lessen it. But to a certain degree, I cannot stop having organic waste. Further, how can I limit some simple packaging with our strict health codes? I think that while we can lessen our waste, there is also balance we need to strive for between waste production and health sanitation.

For my first day trying to not produce trash, I think I did very well. Trash still was produced, but I became conscious of this habit. This awareness is the first step to limiting waste.

At the close of today, the No Impact Week guidelines ask me to reflect on five things that I am thankful for. Thus, I will end my reflection on today's progress optimistically.

Five things that I am thankful for are:

• my family
• my fiance
• my friends
• the opportunity to explore a no-impact life
• the opportunity to attend Wofford College

Until tomorrow,

Krista

Day 1 - Consumption

The challenge of Day 1 of No Impact Week is to do more with less. In our society, consumption has become an integral part of our lives. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, consumption is the utilization of economic goods. These goods, or commodities, include clothes, food, cars, toys and technology, to name a few. The reason for curbing consumption in this project is to realize how large a role it plays in our daily lives.

In her quick Web video “The Story of Stuff,” Annie Leonard notes that 99% of all purchased goods are disposed of within 6 months. At this rate, we are going through our products quicker than they can be generated. Further, our waste disposal is ever-increasing .

As of Day 1, my tasks are to:

• Type up a list of of all the stuff you “need” to buy this week. Delete those items you can live without for a week. For the rest of the items, figure out if you can purchase them second-hand, borrow them, or make them yourself.
  
  
• 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 are out of the house, carry your trash home with you. Make sure that no one else's trash gets in there but your own. This will help you get ready for Monday's challenge.
  
  
• Just for this week, try not to shop for new items. Will you find something better to do with your time and money? Could you use this time to spend with friends instead?
  
  
• Start determining what is the hardest part of decreased purchasing.

(Source: No Impact Experiment How-To Manual)

Below is my list of items that I “need” to buy this upcoming week. After creating the list, I then crossed out those items that I can live without. For each item, I also listed specific details on why I need to purchase it or how I will adapt without it.

Item 1: Food

      This item I cannot rule out. While it is possible for me to eat on-campus, I have learned that my body does not react well to Aramark's food. I often become sick or at the very least, feel ill and sluggish. Since purchasing and preparing my own food I have found that I feel better physically and that I also have greater stamina and concentration completing my schoolwork.

Item 2: Gas

      I can carpool instead. This is a temporary solution until Tuesday when I cut out motorized transportation. Even better, I can walk or bike in order to consume no energy.

Item 3: Stamps for thank you notes

      This one I cannot rule out. While I can easily send all my thank you notes electronically, it is not appropriate in this case. I am currently in the process of applying and interviewing for jobs. According to business etiquette, the correct method to thank an employer after an interview is with a hand-written note. Ironically, this week I happen to have 3 job interviews, requiring me to send three cards and purchase three stamps.

The next item to do today was to compile all the trash I made over the course of my day. Below is my photograph of my final trash bag. According to the project instructions, I will be doing more with this bag of trash later this week, so stay tuned!

My trash from today

Starting today, I will not purchase items that are not necessary. In many ways, I do not think that this will be a challenge for me. As a college student, I do not have many needs that are not met by campus services. Those needs I do have that require purchasing are essential and ones that I cannot rule out. Overall, I find my consumption rate to be surprisingly small, based on my list. I tried to add more items to this list, but I could not think of any. I am a college student of little means and thus few wants and simple needs. Perhaps during the course of this week I will uncover additional items that I did not think of. This discovering in itself would prove how integral consumption is part of my daily routine.

While I do not have to decrease my purchasing at a large scale, I do think that this change presents difficulties. To me, the greatest difficulty of lowering the amount I purchase is learning how to compensate for that need. The solution may be that the items is not needed at all. Another possibility is that reusing or borrowing can meet that need instead. Or, perhaps after contemplation, I will learn the value of that needed commodity which will influence me to then use it more conservatively.

That is all for now! I will update tomorrow on Day 2-Waste.

Stay tuned,

Krista