Working from home: evergy saving tips
How much of my carbon footprint and my company’s carbon footprint can I reduce by working at home, instead of going into the office? My company is starting a green program, and I’d like some statistics to share.
The biggest impact working from home can have is on transportation. The average commute to work in the U.S. is 12 miles, and each gallon of gas burned emits 25.3 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2). For efficient cars averaging 25 mpg, this would add up to 25 pounds for a round-trip commute. For a guzzler, you could be spewing 50 pounds per day. If you eliminated one trip per week, you’d save between 1,316 and 2,600 pounds per telecommuter per year.
The energy savings in office buildings are slightly less impressive, but depending on how often you work from home, the figures can really add up. A single telecommuter could reduce overall energy consumption by 16 kilowatt-hours (kWh) every day he or she works from home, according to a 2007 study commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Likewise, another 2002 report by the World Wildlife Fund found that telecommuters could save about 3,000 kWh per person per year, if companies were able to shrink their office space to accommodate a smaller in-house staff.
And it probably goes without saying that telecommuting isn’t bad for your wallet either: The CEA study calculated that telecommuters could save an average of 1.4 gallons of gas every day. With gas prices shooting above $4 a gallon now, that’s almost $6 a day, cash in hand.
Depending on the reaction you get from the powers-that-be at your company, though, it may be more feasible to push for changes in the office building. Buy your managers and building owners copies of the National Geographic Book True Green @ Work, and take these suggestions to your next green meeting:
* Get your company to sign on to Climate Savers (www.climatesaverscomputing.org), an awareness campaign that educates people on how to reduce power consumption from computers and other office equipment.
* Use public transportation. Light-rail trains can cut your transportation emissions down by one-half, and city buses by nearly one-third.
* Organize an office carpool or find one on www.craigslist.org or www.rideamigos.com.
Article source: http://www.thegreenguide.com/just-ask/travel-transportation/telecommuting
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never thought from this acpect of working from home, i mean energy saving – but it’s try!