No Impact Competition Under Way

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas students, faculty and staff, along with the entire Northwest Arkansas community, are invited to enter the “No Impact Competition,” inspired by Colin Beavan’s book, No Impact Man. The book is the true story of one family’s attempt to live for a year without having any negative impact on the environment. No Impact Man is the focus of this year’s One Book, One Community project, with members of the campus and broader community reading the book and participating in events related to sustainability. 

The “No Impact Competition” is an event organized and sponsored by the university office for campus sustainability. The competition enables people to measure their environmental and social impacts by calculating their everyday activities. It also offers ways to reduce that impact through credits or offsets that help the environment and community.

“This is a great idea that will really bring the ‘No Impact’ issues home to everyone who participates,” said Kevin Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the One Book, One Community committee. “This is only one of several events the office for campus sustainability has organized, and we couldn’t be happier with their participation.”

The registration for the competition started Sept. 18, but there is plenty of time left to enter. Rules and entry information are available at the office for sustainability website. To enter, go to the site and fill out a greenhouse gas emission calculator for on-campus or off-campus living. The calculator gives a score based on fuel and water use over the past year.

Competitors then have until Oct. 15 to find ways to lower that score. It can be lowered through past activities like tree and garden planting or taking part in environmental and community projects. It can also be lowered through “offsets” earned by participating in academic activities, One Book, One Community events, by volunteering, and by making additional contributions to environmental and community projects during the competition period.

The people with the lowest scores, and least environmental impact, in the on-campus and off-campus categories, will be the winners.

An awards ceremony will be held Tuesday, Oct. 27, the day Colin Beavan visits the University of Arkansas and presents a public lecture on his book and his experiences since its publication.