The Green Life

Tip Sheet

Already recycling and conserving at home? Some simple changes at work can save energy and resources too:

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more. Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.
• Set your monitor or laptop to go automatically into sleep mode during short breaks, and turn off your computer and monitor--and the power strip they're plugged into--when you leave for the day.
• Print on both sides of paper or use the back side of old documents for faxes, notes, and drafts. Conserve toner by printing in econo or draft mode when feasible.
• Recycle your junk mail and catalogs--and request to be taken off unwanted mailing lists.
• Bring your own mug and dishware for meals you eat at the office.
• Carpool, bike, or take public transit to work, and telecommute when possible.

For more office tips--and ecofriendly, often cost-effective policies for your workplace--check out sierraclub.org/greenoffice.

A Tip a Day...

...keeps global warming at bay. (And other environmental problems too!)

Want to start living a lower-impact, higher-quality lifestyle? Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our new Green Life newsletter and receive an easy tip every day about a small change that can make a big difference. Simple steps like replacing conventional lightbulbs with more efficient ones, keeping your car tires properly inflated, or adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can save you money, reduce waste, and help save the planet. Don't delay, sign up today!

Going Green at Work, Part II

According to a recent poll commissioned by staffing agency Adecco, "52 percent of employed adults think their company should do more to be environmentally friendly." I also received word this week from an email-archiving company promoting its services as a way to save trees. This growing interest in going green at work was certainly reflected in the great response to our green-office tips, which are now available in pdf form for easier distribution. Check 'em out and spread the word!

Fast Fact

The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year.

10 Ways to Go Green at Work

NEW: Download these tips in pdf format.

Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.

1. Be bright about light
Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.

> Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.

> Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

Take Back Your Time

Feeling frazzled? Overworked? I know I am, and I'm not alone--Americans work longer hours than they did in the 1950s, and a stunning nine weeks per year more than Europeans do. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Toss in our consumer-oriented, car-dependent lifestyle and it's no wonder we're spending more time acquiring things and less time enjoying them. (Hectic schedules have also fueled environmentally unfriendly trends toward driving more, buying more pre-packaged food and other goods, and being less engaged with our communities.)

I'm thinking about this today because October 24 is Take Back Your Time Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the "epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment." This year's theme is "Let's Get Back to the Table." So instead of eating on the run tonight, gather with friends or family, savor some good food (locally grown or organic, of course!) and talk about things that matter. It may be just one meal, but it's time to start somewhere.

Welcome!

"The Green Life" was launched in the November/December 2005 issue of Sierra magazine as a place to showcase trendsetting people, cool products, and empowering ideas. Quickly we saw that there was too much happening, too fast, to limit our coverage to a few bimonthly pages, and thus this blog was born.

When we devoted our January/February 2005 issue to the burgeoning green-lifestyle movement, we saw there was a huge interest in earth-friendly options for living well. What we wear, where we live, how we get around, and how we spend our money affects not only our own quality of life, but the quality of our environment. Fortunately, style and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand, reaffirming our belief that the best things in life truly are green.

What's your favorite green product? What ideas have made your life a little easier and the Earth a little happier? Share your rants, raves, tips, and questions with other readers and us.

--Jennifer Hattam, editor