No Impact Challenge: Reflections On The Week

Photo Credit: Flickr/dominiqs

Well, we did it!  Another successful week of living light on the planet.  Or shall I say, almost.  Some things I did over this week were a piece of cake, others took a little more planning, and there were some areas that I just failed completely.  That’s okay.  I continue to work on ways to improve for the next challenge, as well as everyday life.  Here are a few highlights of what I learned about myself this week.

I can compost, just not how everyone else does it.  Since I live in a condo, I don’t have a yard that would benefit from me making my own compost.  I also don’t have yard/food waste service like those who live in single family homes do.  So I have started to collect all of my food waste in a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge.  Then I deposit it with someone who does have yard waste service.

I love not driving and I am pretty good at it, as long as I only have to go downtown.  The transit system in my area is focused on getting people to and from downtown and it works great.  But getting anywhere else can turn into quite a commitment with the bus.  One trip I was trying to plan to a neighborhood not far from downtown was going to require two busses and take me an hour and a half one way for a 30 minute car ride.  I didn’t use my car this week but I will say in the future, I will decide bus vs. car on a case by case basis.

There are still many local options for food this time of year, but for the most part the 250 mile rule was too difficult for me to adhere to.  I expanded my radius to include California-grown food.  But I learned that I love buying milk from the farmers market.  It comes in a glass jug that you return so that they can use them over and over again.  I buy my eggs there too and bring in my own egg carton.  Buying local and less packaging waste - this is something I will continue into the foreseeable future.   I am looking into options for year round CSA’s or organic food delivery for my other food needs, even if it means they will import some produce in the winter months.

I love the solitude of candlelight but there are a few things to remember if you will be living your nights without power.  Make sure your candles are placed in adequate dishes to catch wax drips.  I didn't remember my own advice from the last challenge and twenty minutes after I lit a group of candles the wax was overflowing the drip dish and spilling onto the floor.  So guess what, I had to blow out those candles and turn on the lights to deal with that mess.

And if you plan to go from room to room, you will want to make sure you have a candle that is appropriate for transporting with you while it is lit.  You don’t want to have unattended candles lit in every room, because that’s dangerous.  But if you start walking around with open flame, you need to be careful that you don’t spill hot wax on yourself.  And the wind resistance that is generated from walking can move the flame around or blow it out.  I think I will look for one of those old-fashioned candleholders with the glass shield so I can move through the house Laura Ingalls style!  Another note about carrying fire with you, make sure your path is clear so you don’t trip and fall and catch your hallway on fire.  That didn’t happen to me, but I was very worried that it would!

I loved saving money!  I hardly spent anything this week because I wasn't shopping (not that I am a big shopper anyway) and I wasn't eating out (which for me, take out is usually a daily occurance).  I just had the thought in the front of my mind that I wasn't going to use my money this week and it was very effective.

The most important thing I learned though is I can do more than I thought I could to lessen my impact on the environment.  Not only can I do more to have less impact, I can actually enjoy these changes.  I very rarely felt that I was sacrificing anything.  And I would agree with the statement that my changes increased my happiness.  Did you participate in the No Impact Challenge?  How did you do?  What have you learned in this experience that will change how you live your days?

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.