Simone 1Make Earth Hour Last
March 19th 2008 00:25
While this is admirable , what about businesses who want to do more to combat climate change? Surprisingly, relatively small adjustments on a daily basis can have far reaching environmental benefits.
Firstly, try to conduct more interviews and meetings by teleconference. Every time you commute to a meeting it costs money, wastes time, and burns fossil fuel. Research has found that teleconferencing is also more efficient and productive then face-to-face meetings.
Another small yet effective step that you can take is to introduce real, as opposed to fake, greenery into the office space. Although they require watering and a bit more T L C, the real thing adds beauty and more importantly oxygen to your surroundings.
Whether your office provides lunch for employees, has a café on site or holds the odd Friday afternoon BBQ, buy local produce. By stocking the lunch room with food products made locally you are injecting funds into local communities, reducing carbon emissions as goods do not need to be transported as far, and eating fresh food.
Something that can be done with little effort is adjusting the thermostat in the office. Although this may require wearing long sleeves in winter each degree warmer you leave the thermostat in summer, and each degree cooler you set it in the winter can save 6 to 8 percent in energy costs.
Something quite self explanatory which can sometimes fall by the wayside is recycling. Avoid printing emails unnecessarily and where possible print papers on both sides. It also helps to institute a recycling program, and to switch to recycled paper and water-based inks.
Laptops have improved leaps and bounds in the last 15 years. Desktop computers in 1993 when left on for 24 hours per day produced 1065 kgs of CO2 and laptops today with LCD monitors and power saving features produce only 426 kg. Consequently, by replacing old desktop computers you can save up to 60% of your electricity bill and save the polar bears.
One deterrent for upper management is a fear green practices will cause profits margins to drop. This is often the opposite of what happens. Bob Willard, a former leader at IBM and the author of "The Next Sustainability Wave," conservatively estimates that 20 percent of job candidates are drawn to businesses that tout green practices.
Christy Webber Landscapes, a US based company uses solar and geothermal heating/cooling, vegetative roof cover, weather-responsive lighting, rain water tanks and methods for harnessing wind for power and ventilation. As a result, facilities use 55 per cent less energy then average commercial properties.
If you don't know quite where to start, it is a good idea to use a reliable third party such as the Carbon Reduction Institute to calculate your carbon footprint. Their NoCO2 certification program makes it easy for business to become carbon neutral and sell carbon neutral products & services. Consumers can do their bit for the environment by supporting these carbon neutral organisations and by neutralising their personal carbon footprint through their carbon offset calculator.
Posted at 12:06 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments
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