My No Impact Week Experience

For No Impact Week I decided to try to adopt at least one new habit from each of the eight categories and to continue them throughout the week and challenge myself to make them a lifelong habit.

Day 1— Consumption:

Well, I have to admit, I did not start my No Impact Week on Sunday because I was in my home town of San Antonio and was not particularly thinking of green ideas. Although I did not do anything Sunday, I am going to challenge myself in the future to buy in bulk when possible to reduce excess packaging. I do suppose I used this concept on Tuesday when I participated in an activity my dorm had to turn an old t-shirt into a bag to use for groceries.

Day 2 – Trash:

I failed in the morning in that I grabbed the usual individually packaged granola bar for a quick breakfast, but I did manage to change this habit on Wednesday and keep it throughout the week by eating a piece of fruit first thing in the morning instead. It was just as fast and more eco-friendly. I do use the reusable container for water that the university provided the freshman class with this year and I was very happy with myself for using it when I went to Fiesta Texas on Saturday.

Day 3—Transportation:

It was very easy to take a green mode of transportation here on campus because I live in the dorms on campus and do not have a car. Therefore, I normally walk around campus and use my bike if I need to go somewhere in town.

Day 4—Food:

I did not do much on Wednesday for food, but on Tuesday I went with my dorm to the actual farmer’s market in town and I plan to do this regularly instead of going to H-E-B for everything.

Day 5—Energy:

I actually started this concept’s habit around Tuesday by unplugging my charger for my phone and computer unless I’m using them and being sure to take technology off the charger when it has significant power. I also try to, if not turn off the air conditioning, at least minimize its use when I do need it or am out of the room and turning it off more often, opening a window to let in the wonderfully cool air come in during the morning and later in the day. I also enjoy letting the sunlight in through the shades instead of the light fixture for most of the day.

Day 6—Water:

For this concept I did not do much. I served myself less water in the cafeteria to reduce the chance of me not finishing it and I used less water when I washed dishes this weekend than I normally use. A challenge I believe I need to take is to limit my time in the shower. This will not only save water, but also provide me with some extra time to study or relax.

Day 7— Give Back

To be honest, I did not feel like I did anything out of the ordinary on Saturday towards giving back. I may have held the door for someone, but that was more a habit already and not something I was exactly thinking about. I challenge myself in the future to donate items I do not need or use to others.

Day 8 Eco-Sabbath:

Sunday I was not thinking about what concept I should be using because it was actually my 18^th birthday. Because I had a party back home, with people calling for directions, cooking, baking, and music playing while people were over, I did not practice the afternoon of using absolutely no resources. I do want to challenge myself to make a habit of taking an hour each day out of the week to practice this concept though.

This has been my No Impact Week experience and some of my challenges to live a greener life.

-Desiree