I attended the No Impact Man presentation with Colin Beavan on 10/26/2011.  The presentation influenced my thoughts regarding the impact we have on the world by thinking about how much we really waste.  After reading the book and hearing what Beavan had to say I think that the No Impact Project was more  than just a course on how to make less environmental impact in the world, but a course on humanity and taking care of each other.  Beavan told a few stories about his interactions with people and how the no impact project influenced how he treated or respected people.  He mentioned in his book that his relationship with his wife and daughter means more than it ever has.  I think the thing that I took away most was his comment on not making situations worse than they need to be.  Instead of trying to think about “how can I fix this?”  we often sprout out a retort to make situations worse.  This portion of the presentation is what I have taken away most.

As related to this course, we have talked a lot about sustainabilty and its uses for the environment.  BGSU is working towards becoming even more environmental and sustainable than ever before with three LEED certified buildings.  As a result of the no impact project, many students are coming on board with the initiatives to help make BGSU more sustainable.  Our course relates to this presentation in the fact that we are all discussing the impacts we have on the environment and are thinking about ways to be sustainable for the future.