What the BP Oil Spill and My Grandpa Have in Common Where the wind comes rushing down "the plain" (also known as Oklahoma), three windmills and a solar panel stand in my grandpa's backyard. As a self-proclaimed "poor German immigrant," my grandpa uses his "every penny counts" attitude and self-taught engineering skills to build these energy-generating machines. They power his house, they lessen his environmental impact, and his most valued benefit, they eliminate his electric bill. "Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe" is his mantra (and if I had a dollar for every time he said that to me, I wouldn't have to worry about my electric bill either).
His self-sufficiency through sustainability mentality has never been more practical than now. As we pass day 65 of the BP oil spill, I believe America, and the rest of the world, now acknowledge the negatives of oil dependency and how it causes environmental and economic devastation.
It's time to re-wire -- the way we work, the way we get around, the way we consume -- all of it needs a positive charge. Green technology and software that enables mobile work, along with small steps such as recycling, reducing consumption, etc., will enable us to paddle our own canoes and save the environment from unnatural disasters.
And this isn't just about hugging trees and saving whales -- it's about saving the American economy and putting more money on the balance sheet.
According to a 2010 Telework Research Network study, If U.S. companies were to implement a workshifting policy, America could:
- Save $23 billion a year in imported oil
- Reduce greenhouse gases by taking the equivalent of almost 10 million cars off the road
- Cut Persian Gulf imports by 37%
- Achieve 27% of the nation's 2020 goal for GHG reduction from light cars and trucks
- Prevent over 95,000 traffic injuries and deaths and save over $11 billion in accident costs
- Lower highway maintenance costs almost $2 billion a year
All in all, my grandpa's lessons of self-sufficiency and sustainability, along with the negatives of dependency on oil, make me realize that a new form of energy and work is necessary, now. We can't wait, because nothing is slowing down -- not the fast pace of business and, sadly, not the oil spewing into the Gulf.
Do you workshift to A) reduce your environmental impact, B) create more work-life balance, C) save money for you and your company, or D) all of the above?
