CSA Members Take on No Impact Challenge.

CSA Members take on “No Impact Week” Challenge

by Amy Stross

Five Enright CSA member households and one non-member household came together to support each other in a one-week adventure of “carbon cleansing” our personal habits and households.  The No Impact Week was sponsored by the Sierra Club and the No Impact Project with the goal of encouraging folks to test the edges of their comfort zones to explore whether more mindful ways of living could in fact create more opportunities for personal happiness and satisfaction (rather than being viewed as inconvenient or too difficult).

Each day of the week, starting with Sunday, September 29th, had a theme upon which to focus our energies, and the themes were cumulative, so for example, Sunday was “Consumption Day” and we concerned ourselves with consumption from that day on throughout the week.  Consuming less by making your own items, re-using, and buying used items through thrift stores and (not buying) through Freecycle were suggested ways to cut down on waste.  In addition, de-cluttering and gifting away unused items were also seen as particularly beneficial.  Leeann Garrett, CSA member, said, “I'm going to make it my goal to write down what it is that I want to buy, and wait a week to see if I really need it or not. And on the flip side, I'm going to start tackling those boxes in my garage and storage room.”  CSA member Deborah Jordan says her family shares the Sunday newspaper with neighbor and CSA member Jennifer Belisle.  I suggested using cloth napkins, handkerchiefs instead of tissues, refilling aluminum water bottles instead of buying bottled water, and making your own household cleaners and salad dressing.  These all cut down on consumption as well as trash.  

For Trash Day on Monday several participants reported surprise at the realization that much of their garbage tended to be tissues, and vowed to experiment with carrying handkerchiefs instead.  Most participants reported having home waste systems which included recycling and composting.  Devin Schenk had a great idea to tie the project into our habits at work.  He writes, “At work – we have paper towel dispensers in our bathrooms – I’m bringing in hand towels and will commit to washing them regularly so that my co-workers and I will reduce the amount of paper we consume.” As a group we seemed to be going beyond the (light) green, yet important, act of bringing reusable bags to the grocery store.  I committed to bringing reusable containers to the grocery store, having them pre-weighed, and using them to fill up with grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits in the bulk bin section in order to cut back on packaging waste.

Tuesday was Transportation Day and it got us all thinking about the challenges of living in a hilly city with sparse bike lanes and bus lines.  What we collectively realized is that although cars may be a necessity for some trips, with a little extra planning it doesn’t have to be the norm for all trips.  Many participants reported being more mindful of the necessary car trips and did their best to consolidate errands while using smart trip planning, i.e. more right turns.  Vince and I reduced ourselves to one car about a year ago and I re-committed to riding my bike when going to Enright (8 miles round trip).  April Laskey, participant and friend of Imago, takes the cake on this challenge, as she works toward being car-free.  You can follow her progress on her blog, Carless in Cincinnati.

Wednesday was Food Day and several participants focused on eating an all-local food dinner.  Reported meal items were gazpacho and giant salads made with local produce, crackers and bread made from local flour, locally-sourced eggs and egg salad, and polenta fries made from local cornmeal with homemade ketchup from local tomatoes.  Many of the participants reported having vegetarian tendencies, as eating lower on the food chain possibly results in fewer carbon emissions.  Devin Schenk suggested that “If everyone in Cincinnati gave up eating meat one day a week – we would collectively lower our carbon footprint by an overwhelming amount – some where in the vicinity of Duke Energy switching from Coal to solar power!!”

Are you tired yet?  By Thursday we were becoming exhausted, too, yet the group experience helped us all to stay motivated and keep going.  It was Energy Day, and we were all looking for a boost of it.  Try Power Strips for a boost of power that lessens electricity costs!  Deb Jordan and Jim Schenk focused on the household projects suggested to them through their energy audits with the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, and both households reported either having no a/c or using it very little.  Deb used her solar oven to make crackers on both Wednesday and Thursday.  I committed to air-drying laundry (on Friday), and having a low-energy evening of a no-cook dinner and candles for evening lighting.

Friday was Water Day.  Low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets were the order of the day, as was the oft-unmentionable mantra “If it’s yellow, let it mellow”.  Grey water and rain catchment were also on the docket.  I stretched my use of water by catching laundry and dishwater in buckets and used it to water trees and bushes in my yard, which has been especially useful considering the drought, and became completely humbled to see how many buckets it took to catch a laundry load of water or from a dishwashing session.

The weekend was for Eco-Volunteering and at least four of the participating households volunteered at Imago for its “Reduce, Reuse, Rummage Sale” receiving some much-needed community and connection after a challenging week.

So what is the moral of the story?  Living mindfully is a process that is both challenging and deeply rewarding.  Taking personal steps toward low impact living with the support of the group seems to help solidify actions into habits.  What habits will stick for members of our group?  Deb Jordan thinks her family will continue to be mindful of, and work toward reducing purchases of packaged food and disposable items.  April will continue to use a hanky more and paper tissues less, and is researching rain-catchment options for her yard.  My household will focus on lowering our water use and using grey water to recharge the water table in our own yard.  Even bigger than these individual habits is our resolve to continue to work in community with one another to offer motivation and ideas and to continue the conversation.  Want to take on the challenge as a group or an individual?  The next No Impact Week Challenge begins January 2nd.