No Impact Project

No Impact Experiment on CBS News

stephanie — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:59:21 +0000

Sustainability Week to kick off Friday

stephanie — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:27:10 +0000

Accomplishments of the No Impact Project Curriculum

stephanie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:08:17 +0000

Our five-lesson, 36 page interactive Environmental Education Curriculum for secondary school students has been downloaded over 2,000 times. With an average of 24 students per class, that would be a total of over 48,000 students using the curriculum. It has been featured on numerous blogs and websites, including YES! Magazine, PBS Teachers, and Teaching the Hudson Valley.
The No Impact Curriculum was implemented in schools in Houston, TX last fall, and was taught to 2,000 students.

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Accomplishments of Give Back Days

stephanie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:51:46 +0000

All across the world, people are volunteering in their communities during monthly Give Back Days. The No Impact Project started organizing Give Back Days to help people turn their new awareness into real, measurable action. These days are based on the idea that when you get people to move a muscle you get them to change their mind.

No Impact Project team members Colin and Lilly help coat a roof with white paint to reduce energy use

Volunteer crew finishes a hard day of work

Volunteers sort compost at a community garden for July Give Back Day

Volunteers water street trees at the July Give Back Day

Give Back Day local food feast in Lindome, Sweden

For our September Give Back Day we joined in with 350.org’s Moving Planet Day of Action. Check out Colin Beavan speaking at the NYC event!

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Accomplishments of Eco Leader Retreats

stephanie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:09:50 +0000

The No Impact Project’s Eco-Leader Training was launched to help transform citizens who are concerned about our environmental crises into inspired local community leaders and founders of environmental action groups. As Colin Beavan, Director of the No Impact Project, explains: “There are many people out there who are unsure how to collect their community members into activated groups who support and work towards environmental solutions. Our new program seeks to help them form their own grassroots groups and move forward from there.”

During the all-expenses paid weekend, 18 participants selected from a pool of over 200 took part in a series of dynamic workshops and talks with inspirational leaders and activists from the environmental movement, including Jeremy Osborn, co-founder of 350.org, and Anne Pope, founder of Sustainable Flatbush. They learned how to build and empower their community to take solution-based action on our pressing environmental problems. By bringing together participants from various backgrounds, the Eco-Leader Training supported even wider participation in the environmental movement.

Since the retreat, our Eco Leaders have led some extraordinary No Impact Weeks of their own around the country, a few of which include:
• A No Impact Week with the Atlantic chapter of the Sierra Club
• A No Impact Week with a local Community Supported Agriculture group involving 50 families in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• A No Impact Week with the faculty and staff of the New School in NYC.
• A No Impact Week in Houston, Texas with 100 community members and implementation of the No Impact Curriculum for public schools in Houston, reaching an estimated 2,000 school children.

We are currently planning our next Eco Leader Retreat.

Check out this fun video created by the No Impact Group in Houston, TX through one of our Eco Leader graduates

An Eco Leader graduate leading a public yoga session at the 350.org activism event “Moving Planet”

A compost workshop held for Give Back Day during a No Impact Week led by an Eco Leader graduate

A few participants of a group bike ride organized by an Eco Leader graduate

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Accomplishments of Virtual No Impact Week Experiments

stephanie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:11:52 +0000

For each of our Virtual No Impact Weeks, we partner with well-established environmental or media organizations to invite people to take part in a low-impact living experiment of their own. We create online platforms to foster a strong sense of community, and we manage these platforms to support and encourage participants and connect them with each other. Our partners include YES! Magazine and the Huffington Post. Our Virtual No Impact Week with YES! Magazine in September 2011 had over 3,000 individual participants and 145 in-person groups took on the challenge together.

Check out more videos by virtual No Impact Week participants by clicking the links below

NIW participants in Korea

See a few examples of participant post-week feedback below

Q: What lifestyle changes has your participation in the No Impact Week inspired you to make moving forward?

“I finally made handkerchiefs and drastically reducted my use of tissues–one of the last disposable paper products I still used. Also, I cooked more and it felt great.”

“Definitely transportation by public trans. – it was refreshing and gave me more time for me. Trying to plan ahead to give myself an Eco-Sabbath every week or every other week.”

“Cutting power in my home. I don’t need my fridge giving me eating habits and I don’t need to leave my laptop plugged in all day, so I’m charging the battery once and then cutting it off.”

“Using less electricity and water and not buying water shipped from Germany. Also, cutting out tissue paper for blowing my nose!”

“I am getting back to bringing food containers to restaurants, further reducing the products I buy with packaging, biking to work more often, and moving forward with a backyard rain water catchment project. I am also working to interest my neighbors in working on all these fronts.”

“Less consumption, no trash,.and eating local food”

“This week has reminded me of the importance of volunteering with more local groups.”

“Look harder for a job closer to home.”

“- Use of Candles more often – I will eat no more meat for the rest of the year – I will bike to the grocery store as much as possible now, no excuses – I will bike to local farms to get produce – I will unplug more often…which is what I am going to do all day after this – I will enjoy the luxuries in my life because this week has made me realize how many I have – I will shower no longer than 4 minutes…and Take army showers (turning off the water while scrubbing and washing hair) – I will be awake, for myself and my fellow earthlings – I will be community and I will give more of myself to my community”

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Accomplishments of Community No Impact Weeks

stephanie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:27:59 +0000

Something special happens when communities take on the No Impact Week Challenge together. So far, we have partnered with communities to host No Impact Weeks in Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, PA (twice!); La Crosse and Viroqua, WI; the Netherlands (twice!) and Guangzhou, China. Thousands of individuals have taken on the transforming No Impact Challenge through our Community No Impact Weeks.

Survey data shows that No Impact Weeks:
• Bring about long-term behavioral change.
• Launch individuals into environmental activism.
• Increase civic engagement.

Participant feedback shows that No Impact Weeks:
• Expose thousands (even those who do not participate in the weeks) to a community wide discussion on sustainability.
• Cause permanent changes in communities: starting farmer’s markets, changes in building operations, community gardens and more.
• Bond together groups of like-minded individuals inspired to create change within their own spheres of influence. These sustainable communities last long after the No Impact Week ends.

See a few pictures and videos of Community No Impact Weeks below:

Community Eco Sabbath event in Erie, PA

Video of No Impact Week in the Netherlands

Group Bike Ride in Guangzhou, China

High school student in China signs environmental living pledge

Compost bin Creation in Guangzhou, China

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Accomplishments of University No Impact Weeks

stephanie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:01:17 +0000

So far, thirty university campuses, and about 20,000 students have experienced their own No Impact Experiments. These experiments have been enthusiastically received not only in environmentally aware areas, but also in areas that have traditionally been a hard place for the environmental movement to reach. Our goal is not to make participants politically progressive but to inspire them to pressure the leaders of their own parties to support crucial environmental legislation. This program is in high demand and we plan to expand the program to reach more universities and students.

Question 1: I consciously keep consumption at a minimum.
Question 2: I try to share an item with a neighbor before I buy a new one.
Question 3: I try to avoid buying products with packaging.
Question 4: I volunteer regularly with an environmental organization.
Question 5: I participate in events organized by environmental organizations.
Question 6: I share information with my friends and family about how they can help the environment.

Participant feedback shows that No Impact Weeks:
• Inspire students to change their majors and even their careers.
• Expose thousands (even those who do not participate in the weeks) to a campus or community-wide discussion on sustainability.
• Cause permanent changes on college campuses and in communities: starting farmer’s markets, changes in building operations, food services and more.
• Bond together groups of like-minded individuals inspired to create change within their own spheres of influence. These sustainable communities last long after the No Impact Week ends.

See pictures from University No Impact Weeks below:

Students created a bike powered blender at Allegheny College

Local Food Cooking Workshop at Allegheny College

Campus Farmer’s Market at Georgia Southern University

Community gardening booth at Georgia Southern University

Give Back Day at Ohio State University

Recycling at University of CA Merced

“Trashion Show” at Edinboro University

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Treehugger – No Impact Week with YES! Magazine

stephanie — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:32:10 +0000

Living the high (low-carbon) life

stephanie — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:31:08 +0000