Miomarmo

Simple Statement of the Day

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Simple Statement of the Day

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.
~ Stuart Udall

Go Home and You'll Help Save the Planet

I love this article from Wired Magazine: Home Sweet Office: Telecommute Good for Business, Employees, and Planet.

I didn't catch it when it first came out in September, but nonetheless, it's helped me immensely. Why? I'm a telecommuter. Before I read this I found that I would hide this fact from clients and other professionals, out of some sort of fear that I wouldn't be taken seriously. The only others that truly understand are other telecommuters (and yes, I've looked into joining some sort of club of others like me). The article even recommends ditching an office entirely:

Telecommuting's foes couldn't be more misguided. When gasoline costs $4 a gallon, companies shouldn't just be doing all they can to expand telecommuting — they should be scrapping their offices entirely. No, not turning them into toy-filled communal spaces, as advertising titan Chiat/Day infamously did in the early-'90s, but abandoning them outright.

The real truth, for me, is I work harder, I'm more focused, and I work longer hours than I ever did in an office.

But now, it's starting to be realized that working at home is also GREEN! Finally! I can say "I work from home because I'm green." Well, I would never actually say that, but I can use it to encourage others to try it. Here's just a few reasons:

• I don't use gas to get to/from work!
• I'm not buying useless nylons and other "work attire" that I wear 4x in a year and discard (just one nice suit will work for the few client meetings I need to attend)
• I eat real food off of real plates and use real silverware, no plastic cups, dishes, or utensils to be tossed away
• I already heat my home, no need to heat it and heat an office
• The biggest reason is this: It saves a lot of carbon and a lot of money.

And what have we learned?

November's ended, which means it's the end of NaBloPloMo - our thirty straight days of posting. This month we've shared about recycling, solar power, greenhouse gas, mass transit, terrorism, animal cruelty, cutting your energy bill, thrifting, the presidential election, detergents, the economy, great green gifts for the holidays, kids, literature, and even Hollywood. Personally, I've loved how it's kept me even more focused on the environment than usual.

Here's to even more insight in the days to come.

(Leaving with this great clip....)