I’ve been participating in this experiment, also called the carbon cleanse, and we are in day five. The Huffington Post is sponsoring the experiment. Each day we are given some tasks to do and then at the end of the day we receive an email with a SurveyMonkey link to answer 4 or 5 questions about how we did and how we felt about what we did. There is also a Ning site where participants can “chat” with each other, post questions, pictures, etc. 
The agreement to participate comes with a guide that lists the tasks for the day, ideas for change and some facts about the area we are concentrating on for that particular day. I’m pretty good about being cognizant of my carbon foot print, and in general this has been fairly easy for me so far, but I have learned a lot and I am even more conscious now about my choices.
The first day, Sunday, was about consumption. Check out the Story of Stuff if you haven’t seen it yet. Monday was about trash. Did you know that in 2006 we produced 4.6 pounds per person per day in the U.S.? Wednesday was about transportation–the average American car owner spends about 1,000 hours annually in a car. What would you do with an additional 19 hours a week? Yesterday we ate locally–breakfast was easy for me since we have our own chickens! Today we explore no-energy alternatives to accomplish daily tasks–I think this will be a tough one. Tomorrow is about water, Saturday about giving back, and Sunday is eco-sabbath, kind of like a Yom Kippur for the planet–use no appliances, electronics, motorized transportation, or money! 
Here’s the Guide noimpactweek if any of you would like to try this on your own, or just get some ideas about how to help yourself, your community and the planet.
