This post was written by Jackie Hynes, a senior at UMass Amherst who is working with the Campus Sustainability Initiative as the Eco-Rep Program Manager.
The UMass Amherst Campus Sustainability Initiative has been actively pushing our University to be more sustainable since the early 2000s, when our program originated. Since then, we have come a long way as a campus in terms of sustainability, including development of academic programs, use of compost in on-campus cafeterias, and a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050. Our mission at the Initiative is to improve current unsustainable practices, educate the campus community, and develop solutions to reduce our impact on the environment. Our progress is fueled by optimism and passion not only to advance our campus but also spread awareness throughout the UMass Amherst community. We are thrilled to have No Impact Man as the 2013-2014 Common Read, and to help engage the campus community in the hope of reducing our university’s impact on the environment.
In No Impact Man, Colin Beavan convinces his family and the rest of the world that they can live “no impact” for an entire year; that means no elevators, no take out food, and even no heat. The Beavan family achieves this by gradually phasing out the use and consumption of resource-intensive practices, such as electricity and transportation. While critics of the project doubted him during that year, it is undeniable that Beavan’s promise to not pose any threat to the environment is admirable and heroic. And spoiler alert: he did it! His inspiration for the project stemmed from the genuine desire to spread awareness without being counterproductive, following his typical American “go-fast consumer” habits. We all live in a world where more is better, and we are constantly being sucked into the unsustainable consumer treadmill. At the Campus Sustainability Initiative, we were happy to see Beavan display such simplicity within not-so-sustainable New York City. We appreciate his dedication to living with zero net impact on the environment, not only reducing consumption but also giving back to the community. These are things that we are acting on both individually and university-wide within the Initiative.
So where do we go from here? We want to continue Colin Beavan’s efforts for the sake of Mother Earth; there is no question that the issue of climate change is becoming more pressing with each passing day. The Campus Sustainability Initiative offers numerous ways to get involved in sustainability. We offer a 2-credit peer facilitated course, Eco-Rep, which educates students on sustainability concepts through discussion and behavioral change. Eco-Rep is a great way to get involved, change your daily behaviors to be more sustainable, promote sustainable practices campus wide, and network with other students who have similar interests. There are also many opportunities each semester to volunteer at a campus clean-up day, volunteer at one of our permaculture gardens, and attend monthly events. If you’re feeling inspired, want to help, or even change your habits, join us in our quest to make the planet a better place to live, starting with our very own No Impact Week!
Beginning Sunday, October 6, the Campus Sustainability Initiative will be holding a campus-wide No Impact Week. Each day of the week will be designated with a specific behavioral change that Beavan and his family accomplished; for example, Monday of that week will be dedicated to Trash; participating students will focus on reducing their trash/landfill impact. We held a similar No Impact Week last spring, and it was very successful, with participation by many undergraduates. This year will be even better because Colin Beavan himself will be attending on Wednesday for our Food day. Join us and Beavan in reducing our impact on the environment! This is a great opportunity to learn more about sustainability and promote real change. We want a large presence at this year’s event week to show our support to No Impact Man himself!
Want to learn more? Check out our No Impact Week Facebook page!