Today we hear a lot about being green or going green in relation to being ecologically responsible. The idea of reducing carbon emissions and our carbon footprint are important and worth supporting yet there are times it gets a bit confusing and also challenging when trying to find a balance. As an example, in a recent news story I viewed while in San Diego, cited that while the concept of using the desert to establish a solar field as a solar power generation plant is favorable, there is opposition due to the disruption and impact it will have on wildlife.
As you can see, this is the balance challenge we face. In order to go green, the solar fields will use space that is home to various wildlife; some of which are rare and typically found only in this region. In other cases, migratory impact would be one of the side effects for other species presenting additional challenges. While it is a concern, these are also obstacles that have been faced before in water power and the need to create ladders for salmon to run up river around hydroelectric plants.
While all of this is good and discussions take place, there are additional green initiatives we can put in place and implement every day to help the regain ecological balance. While doing some research recently, I ran across the following quote: “If the U.S. cut its office paper use by roughly 10 percent, or 540,000 tons, greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 1.6 million tons — equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road for a year.” [Source: Susan Kinsella, Gerard Gleason, Victoria Mills, Nicole Rycroft, Jim Ford, Kelly Sheehan and Joshua Martin. “The State of the Paper Industry.” The Green Press Initiative, 2007.] Imagine this for a moment. Reducing paper use by merely 10% will have this much of an impact. How much effort would it take to reduce paper use by 10 percent?
In my view, being green means many things to many people. To begin, one must put their definition into the right context and perspective. We can all support green initiatives in our daily lives. All we have to do is pick a starting point. Here are a few Tips and Techniques for your organization to reduce paper use:
· Use document scanners to convert paper documents to electronic format then shred them – if allowed by law and industry – and send the shredded paper for recycling
· Do not print or copy any documents unless absolutely required. Send all documents via e-mail or electronic fax as the preferred method to your customers
· If you do have to print, be sure to spell/grammar check before you print to eliminate reprinting
· Use Web 2.0 technologies like wikis and blogs for internal communication and collaboration
· Use single source repositories and shared digital workspaces to develop, manage and refine documents like contracts, marketing materials and any other type requiring review and refinement
· Use web interfaces and forms for online applications and order placement
· Sign up for e-bill delivery or online billing from your suppliers rather than paper statements, and pay your bills electronically
· Map, design and manage all business processes electronically. You can begin by mapping the processes and assessing how they can be improved as they are, then address process automation using what you currently own and/or may purchase
What say you? How is your organization working to support green initiatives? Do you have a story to tell? I want to hear from you and learn what you and your organization are doing.
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Bob Larrivee – AIIM
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