We go to our favorite bake shop, and my child watches the people working in the kitchen. That's someone's job to make cookies for people; that's so nice, she'll say. She returns from school and talks about meeting a sick owl before asking if taking care of it is someone's job. She takes it all in—at the stage where money is still a rather abstract concept, but knowing that people work to pay for things—she is curious about all the possible work she could do.
We spend roughly a third of our years at work, and workers hold incredible power to help businesses, no matter how big or small, address global warming.
Think about all the choices your business or your department makes. What honest, quick changes could you make? For instance, say you want to reduce your company's plastic waste.
Chances are, if you go into an office, a Keurig machine lurks somewhere. As many as 13 billion disposable K-Cups go into our landfills each year, taking thousands of years to decompose. The most straightforward switch, especially if that Keurig machine is in good working order, would be to switch to reusable Kcups and coffee beans. Figure out how that works, how much it would cost, and whether the company saves money. If the Keurig machine is on its last legs, you could identify other types of coffee makers. Then, gather some support to make a switch. You'll likely find more than you think. According to a survey from Yale University, 70 percent of Americans agree that corporations should do more to address global warming, compared to 61 percent who think individual citizens should do more and 60 percent who think various government bodies should do more.
And corporations agree, at least on the surface. One-fifth of the world's 2,000 largest publicly traded companies have made net-zero commitments, and many large private companies have also set climate targets. Many companies don't publicize their plans in a process called greenhushing where executives afraid of getting caught in culture wars keep quiet, and others, of course, overstate their sustainability impacts. Yet, corporations that control trillions of dollars in assets are an essential piece of the climate puzzle, as they can often move faster than governments to implement changes.
Besides reducing single-use plastic, there are several changes you can consider helping your workplace make:
Switch to green energy. While if your company owns its building, it might be possible to put solar panels on the roof, many states also allow energy consumers to shop around for an energy supplier. Look for ones that offer some or all renewable energy.
Use 100% recycled or FSC-certified paper products. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies a range of paper goods, including paper towels, tissues, and furniture, certifying that they are made from trees managed in forests that benefit the environment.
Print less. Implement steps to reduce the amount of paper your office uses, such as by making most things digital, getting rid of individual office printers and auditing the amount of paper your office uses.
Open the windows. Use natural ventilation as much as possible.
Adjust the thermostat. The U.S. EPA recommends that thermostats are set to 68 degrees during the winter months (and that after hours, you turn that down by 7 to 10 degrees) and that during the summer months, A.C. is set to 78 degrees (and in the 80s when no one is in the office).
Turn off the lights. Commercial buildings account for almost a fifth of U.S. energy use, and 43 percent of that energy goes toward lighting, creating the same planet-warming emissions as nearly 40 million cars. Lights on at night are also bad for nocturnal creatures, including bugs, which we need, birds, and other animals. So why do so many office buildings leave the lights on overnight? For some, it's a security measure (although there isn't any evidence it reduces crime). For others, it's because some employees work nontraditional hours or cleaning crews work overnight, but often, it's just that no one is in charge of turning off the lights. Assign someone to be in charge of the lights or switch them to a timer or sensor system.
Travel less. It's estimated that business travel accounts for 20 percent of domestic travel in the U.S.About 90 percent of business travel carbon emissions come from flying, and just 1 percent of travelers — many of whom fly for work — are responsible for 50 percent of all air travel carbon pollution. Employers and employees should consider how business flights are taken, if necessary, or if employees can get to their destination by a less carbon-intensive route, for instance, the train, bus, or a shared car. If you have to fly, choose non-stop flights that produce less carbon.
Make sustainable purchasing decisions. Consider the products your company needs to buy regularly. Are they suitable for the planet and for the people who make them? Consider the product's end of life and what will happen to it, especially electronic equipment. Figure out the products your company buys the most often and then audit them, where they are coming from, whether they are ethically produced, and what happens to them at the end of their life cycle.
Talk about your company's climate goals. Does your company have any climate goals? Find out if you don't know. Remember, we all must talk about our actions to create real change. Even if you don't have the word sustainability in your title, you can still ask and help to hold the company accountable to its goals.
Switching how your company makes coffee may seem like a small action, but the impact is more significant than simply reducing single-use plastic waste. It gets people thinking about the climate crisis. About the differences they can make in their own lives, and it's something you can share with your kids. Even if, and especially if, at first, you fail to get your workplace to adopt a green behavior, you're still modeling resilience, problem-solving, and creative thinking for your kids.
~ Bridget
P.S. Here are a few things that I've been working on:
Published: Associated Press election results. One of my favorite reporting assignments is to call in election results for the A.P.
Working: On a green shopping guide for Martha Stewart and a story on the benefits of farm trails for Foodprint. If you have a favorite, I'm looking for a few more farmers to speak with.
Volunteering: If you're in southeastern C.T., come to the Earth Day Expo on Saturday, April 20. There will be food! Birdhouses to make! Local legislators to talk with, and all sorts of activities and information to help people implement green behaviors in their daily lives.