Three ‘No Impact’ Events Scheduled This Week

The documentary film No Impact Man will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom, one of three free public events this week organized as part of the One Book, One Community project. A public lecture on sustainability food labels and a songwriting contest are also scheduled. This semester thousands of people on campus and across Northwest Arkansas are reading and discussing the book No Impact Man, by Colin Beavan as part of the annual project.

The documentary film was actually made before Beavan's book was published. Colin Beavan was blogging about his family’s experiment -- trying to live for a year in New York City without having a negative impact on the environment. The blog attracted the attention of the filmmakers, who filmed the family’s experiences as they were happening.

Two very different No Impact events are both scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20. A songwriting contest, “No Impact Songs”, will be held at Nightbird Books on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Musically inclined members of the university community have been challenged to write and perform songs inspired by No Impact Man, with the contest winner receiving a recording package from the local East Hall Recording. Musicians are also encouraged to perform their versions of songs with an environmental theme. The public is welcome to attend and sing along. The event is sponsored by the One Book, One Community committee and East Hall Recording.

At the same time in room 144 of the J. B. Hunt Building on campus Yoon-Na Cho, a doctoral student in marketing at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will discuss her ground-breaking research into the affect of sustainability labels on consumers and ways to make these labels effective. Her lecture is also open to the public.

Colin Beavan, the No Impact Man himself, will speak on campus at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom. He’ll talk about his experiences, take questions from the audience, and sign copies of his book. The event is free and open to the public.