Now that the Climate Strike has come and gone, some of us are wondering what else we can do besides posting on social media. There’s still a long way to go, including major policy changes. At Slide 32, we asked ourselves what we could do in our workplace to help reduce fossil fuel usage until that policy changes. We came up with a list of easy action items that we hope you can implement in your place of work.
Electricity
We live in a digital age. Seems like you can’t go three hours before that pesky red battery sign shows up.
Turn off your computer and office lights when you’re not there.
Turn down the A/C and heater especially when you leave for the night/weekends.
Unplug electronic devices when you’re not using them. One easy way to get rid of that "PC Load Letter" notice you don’t understand is to just unplug the printer!
Breaks
If you’re anything like us, coffee breaks and lunch breaks are what keep us fueled for the day.
Bring a reusable water bottle that you can keep at your desk. Plus it gives you a good excuse to congregate and gossip about the latest episode of Succession at the water cooler.
Keep reusable utensils and straws at your desk.
Bring your lunch from home in a stylish reusable lunch bag or box.
Bring your own reusable coffee mug when you go get coffee with your coworkers. You won’t have to feel left out on the 9 am and 3 pm coffee runs. Plus many coffee shops will give you a discount if you BYOM.
Commuting
We get it, it’s a PLACE of work. We’re all busy businessing, but here are easy transportation ideas that can reduce fossil fuel usage.
Look into telecommuting. This helps reduce transportation, plus you get to work in your underwear (pro tip: you might want to wear an acceptable top though if you use video conferencing).
If you can’t telecommute, carpool or take public transportation. Use that time you’re not driving to stalk your ex on Instagram, read the book you’ve been meaning to read or catch up on sleep.
Bike, skateboard, or walk to work. It’s a 2-for. You get to help save the planet and get exercise.
If you do have to drive, here are some easy tips to reduce gas usage:
Take care of your car. Keeping your tires properly inflated can increase your fuel efficiency by three percent, and ensuring that your car is properly maintained can increase it by four percent.
Remove any extra weight from the car
Use cruise control
Use Waze or any other traffic apps to help you get around. The stop and go can kill your fuel efficiency. Which also means go easy on the brakes and accelerator there, Speed Racer.
On business trips where you have to fly:
Skip those pesky layovers and fly non-stop.
Fly economy. Business class is responsible for almost 3 times the emissions as economy. First class, nine times. Get comfy with your fellow passenger. Who knows, you might meet a new connection.
Around the Office
Take your Office Manager out to coffee with your reusable mug and talk about ways you can make the office more footprint friendly.
Print less. Everything is done on the computer, tablets or phones these days! Plus you don’t have to mess with that "PC Load Letter" notification you still don’t understand after all these years.
Set up recycling bins around the office. Add a paper basketball hoop to them to make recycling more fun!
Avoid using printing inks that are petroleum-based. Soy ink is an eco-friendlier alternative
Use energy star products.
Take Action
If you’re in between tasks or have a little down time at work here are some easy action items you can do from your desk.
Check in with the Global Climate Strike website for easy online actions/petitions you can sign. https://globalclimatestrike.net/next/
Register to vote. Vote in every election local and national for the representatives and policies that will support climate friendly solutions.