Global Warming, Carbon Footprint, Greenhouse Gases—these terms have sparked debate and become somewhat politicized in recent years. Whether you believe that significant damage can result from the earth’s warming or remain skeptical, you may have stopped to ask yourself what you can do to help the environment. Establishing an eco-friendly home office and adopting simple, commonsense practices can positively impact Mother Earth's sustainability. Even if helping the environment is not the primary reason for establishing a home office, the eco-friendly benefits are certainly a plus.
Carbon Emissions – The Current State
Although all living things emit carbon dioxide through breathing, carbon dioxide becomes an environmental pollutant when emitted by cars, planes, power plants, or anything that involves burning fossil fuels, such as gasoline and natural gas. Due to such tremendous growth in these activities, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years. The United States accounts for the second-highest total emissions behind China. When looking at carbon footprint per capita (i.e., the amount of carbon dioxide each person emits into the atmosphere), the U.S. has the 11th highest emissions per capita globally. (By contrast, China ranks 47th in emissions per capita.) Furthermore, the U.S. has the highest per capita emissions among countries with sizeable populations. Scientists have linked worldwide carbon emissions to many far-reaching environmental impacts, including shrinking water supplies, increases in severe weather events, changes in the food supply, and geographical changes such as rising sea levels.
U.S. Census data show that the average one-way commute in the U.S. is approximately 26 minutes over a distance of 16 miles. Of the total number of commuters, about 86% drive to work, and 77% of those commuters drive alone. A recent study indicates that about 40% of the U.S. workforce worked remotely in 2016, at least part of the time. It is generally believed that nearly half of all jobs can be performed by teleworking. The Consumer Technology Association reported that telecommuting by the U.S. workforce in 2013 decreased America's energy use by an amount similar to the output of three power plants. This equates to the energy needed to power nearly 750,000 households annually! There is an opportunity to make a dent in the environmental impacts of commuting by working from a home office.
Stanford University has developed an online tool allowing users to input information about their daily commute and receive an estimate of their weekly, monthly, and annual carbon emissions. Although I work from a home office and do not commute, I calculated based on the average daily commute of 32 round-trip miles and the average miles per gallon of new vehicles today (approximately 24 miles per gallon). According to this calculation, the average annual commute would produce almost three metric tons of carbon emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the typical passenger vehicle emits approximately 4.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. That means that the relatively short average commute would account for about 64% of the individual’s annual output … or that these individuals would easily surpass the 4.7 metric tons per year average. However you look at it, one thing is sure – the more you drive, the more carbon dioxide you emit. Given the environmental impact of carbon emissions, it may be time to start thinking about shedding that daily commute to help reduce your carbon footprint and help protect the environment.
Shed the Daily Commute
You may be thinking carbon emissions are way more significant than mine. I’m not flying jet planes or operating a manufacturing plant. I’m just one person – how much could I affect the global footprint? Allow me to take an analogy from one of my favorite pieces of children’s literature, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who. If you’ve ever read this book, you’ll be familiar with Whoville, where all the towns' tiny whos must ensure their survival by coming together to make loud noises that prove their existence to the larger people. One Who named Jojo shirks his noise-making duty, and thus, the Whos cannot be heard, almost assuredly causing the demise of Whoville. But when the Whos call out Jojo and begin making noise, the larger people hear Whoville’s cries, and the town’s existence is no longer in jeopardy. In that story, every voice – no matter how small - mattered. And in today’s society, every person's contributions – no matter how small - toward creating a more sustainable environment make a difference.
Maybe you’re convinced of the environmental impact and would love to establish a home office, but you believe most of your work MUST be done in a traditional brick-and-mortar office. I recall feeling that way when I first explored working from a home office. You could start small, using it for only a portion of your work week. As your home office becomes better equipped to handle remote interactions and you begin to establish some comfort working at home, you could consider doing it more regularly. Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Every bit makes a difference!
The environmental benefits of a home office are vast: decreased emissions from reduced driving, fewer production materials for business clothing and accessories, and dual-purposing the existing space in your home instead of leaving it vacant. But how can you be even more vigilant to ensure your home office does not become an emissions-emitting hog of its own?
5 Tips for Going Green
Here are some commonsense, eco-friendly practices you can implement in your home office to further reduce your carbon footprint:
- Use a laptop rather than a desktop computer. Although the energy efficiency of laptops varies, laptops typically consume up to 80% less power than desktops and use approximately 60 watts of electricity. In contrast, a desktop with an LCD monitor generally operates between 60 and 194 watts. Although laptops provide clear energy savings, desktops may be required for certain functions requiring power-intensive use, including photo or video editing. Some research may be needed to see if a laptop would allow you to perform your job duties adequately. I try to use my computer when possible and switch to a desktop with a monitor only when work demands it. And one more thing - unplug your computer and printer when not in use! Each of us can save another half ton of carbon dioxide emissions each year simply by opening all of the appliances in our home when we are not using them.
- Recycle. Recycling will become a key component of reducing your carbon footprint once you have established your home office. You may need to do a little research to determine the requirements in your area (do you have to separate paper, plastic, and glass, or can you mix all recyclables?) and which types of items should be recycled. For example, have you ever wondered how to discard printer cartridges, binders, or bound reports? Getting up to speed on these things and organizing can help make recycling something that takes minimal effort. This is yet another step on your journey toward reducing your carbon footprint.
Time to Get Organized!
- Moderate the temperature. One of the beauties of working from a home office is that YOU control the thermostat. For all of you who have suffered through summers in icicle-laden offices with co-workers who would thrive in the Arctic or have been forced to don spring-like attire during the winter months to survive the suffocating heat of your office, now is your chance to be comfortable finally! In your home office, you may want to consider using an energy-efficient portable space heater or fan to remain comfortable in your office without adjusting the temperature of your entire home. Wear a sweatshirt or blanket if you’re chilly, or work in shorts and flip-flops if you’re warm. Many of us don’t have that luxury in a traditional office setting.
- Obtain training online instead of air travel. The value of face-to-face professional and interpersonal interactions and learning cannot be ignored. Therefore, I wouldn’t suggest you consider missing out on your company’s annual conference in Phoenix. However, as we progress through this digital age, there is an abundance of training available at our fingertips that we can access conveniently and economically from the comfort of our home offices. Whether you want to obtain continuing education credits or develop your professional skillset, online training tools, including certification courses, podcasts, and webinars, are available. Curtailing air travel to get training could put a sizable dent in your carbon footprint. I’ll be taking an online course on blogging before the month is through. I’ll let you know how it goes!
- Maximize the use of videoconferencing. Videoconferencing as an alternative to in-person meetings is an innovative, eco-friendly way to conduct business. While videoconferencing can’t replace all panels, I have found that it effectively replaces most face-to-face meetings. In my travels as a consultant, I have found that even judges utilize videoconferencing to conduct some proceedings. If they can do it, why can’t I? Precedent set!
Conclusion
After reading this article, I hope you sense some of the responsibility and opportunity we all have to help preserve the environment for our generation and those to come. Like in Dr. Seuss’ Whoville, none of us is too small to make a difference. If we can join together to become more aware and change some of our practices, Mother Earth will thank us.
