Your work is a great place to start being more sustainable. Not only are their a plethora of projects that your business or industry could implement to be more green (that you could help facilitate), but there are also simple things you can do to be more responsible as an individual. Many of us spend at least 40-50 hours a week at work–that’s 30% of our life!
Not only do we travel back and forth to work, but we also eat there and use a large amount of energy and resources when we run office equipment, print off materials, etc.
10 ways to escape affluenza at work!
Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. 4. A television program that could change your life.
PBS has produced a wonderful website that accompanys their one hour documentary titled Affluenza. The website helps people ‘escape’ affluenza in their home and hearth and work, as well as provide methods to deal with kids, money, shopping, food and transportation. They also have a great affluenza quiz.
GreenBiz.com
A resource center for business and the environment and the bottom line. The nonprofit, nonpartisan GreenBiz.com works to harness the power of technology to bring environmental information, resources, and tools to the mainstream business community. Its principal mission is:
“To provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that combines ecological sustainability with profitable business practices.” Specifically, GreenBiz.com’s goals are to:
- Serve as an information clearinghouse on sustainable business practices and resources from a wide variety of entities, including companies, nongovernmental organizations, trade associations, government agencies, and academic institutions.
- Help companies and other organizations turn information into knowledge and action by providing hands-on tools, expert advice, and case studies.
- Provide resources, tools, and information to organizations that offer technical assistance to companies on environmental issues.
- Facilitate increased communication, information sharing, and learning among environmental professionals and other interested parties.
- Facilitate increased understanding of sustainable business practices beyond the private sector to government entities, nongovernmental organizations, news media, investors, students and academics, and the public at large.
Underlying this mission is the goal of providing resources and tools to the broadest possible business audience, including small and midsized companies and others that typically lack the time, expertise, or financial resources to obtain such information.