Is Your Office Green Enough

This exurb is from an article in an Architalkure Newsletter
for my AIA chapter that I wrote:

Is Your Office Green Enough?

Like so many others these days, as we are forced to
reckon with the impending extinction of polar bears, I
have struggled on a personal level to make an impact
regarding sustainability. Ironically, as I am typing
this article about greening up the office, I sit with
a Starbucks paper cup at hand, knowing full well that it
will find itself in the garbage at my desk, and
eventually into a landfill somewhere.

Today everyone is in a big hurry, needing instant
gratification. Sadly, most of us are not taking the
time to stop and think about how our daily life

impacts the environment. What we drive or how far

we drive, what we buy, and how we live and work is

defining the future of this planet.

So with this in mind, I ask the question: "Is your
office green enough"? Are you designing green, but
not running or working in a sustainable environment?
I would venture to guess that most offices could
improve their levels towards sustainability. Most of
us work in existing buildings that were not built to
be efficient. In working with what we have, how can
we shrink the carbon footprint of our offices?

Something to think about....

Some Steps to Reduce Your Carbon Foot Print:

~Use paper that already has a great percentage of
recycled content, and use both sides

~ Consolidate deliveries and pick-ups
~Turn computers and lights off at the end of the day
~Replace appliances with Energy Star qualified
products
~Commute with a friend or walk or ride your bike to
work
~Find ways to save gas such getting a tune up,
changing your gas cap, rotating tires and keeping them
inflated correctly, keeping your load light, and if
you can afford it buy a hybrid

~ telecommute if your office will let you a couple days a week
~ Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: you can recycle all paper,
most beverage containers, and batteries
~Donate used equipment to schools or other
organizations
~ Change your light bulbs out to energy efficient ones
~ Add skylights for day lighting
~ Set your thermostats at a "reasonable" temperature
and set the timers so that the heat and air
conditioning systems are not working during off hours.

~ Change out old toilets to new water efficient ones

~ Use drip irrigation for your office landscaping

~Install a rain sensor – irrigation turns off when it rains

Recommended reads:

Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming

The Ecology of Commerce

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

For more info on sustainable design visit: www.usgbc.org