A massive chunk of ice the size of nine Manhattans broke off from the Wilkins Peninsula in West Antarctica in March. This event will not trigger sea level rise because the ice was already floating in the ocean. However, it greatly troubles scientists because it removes a buffer that could trigger feedback loops affecting albedo, water temperature, ocean circulation patterns, and increasing sea level rise.

2.  The End of March  A massive chunk of a
witnessed a truly sea shelf, the size of
spectacular event in nine Manhattans,
the West Antarctic broke off from the
Wilkins Peninsula
 Will this event trigger
 No, because this ice
sea level rise? was already floating in
 Why then does this the ocean
event so trouble  Feedback loops
scientists? (albedo, water
temperature & ocean
circulation patterns) &
no more buffer

4. Mauna Loa (Hawaii) Carbon Dixoide Record 1958 - 2004
380
370
360
CO2 (ppmv)
350
340
330
320
310
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
year

5. 1000 Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Projected (2100)
IPCC 2001 - A1FI
800
carbon dioxide (ppmv)
Projected (2100)
600 IPCC 2001 - B1
400 Current (2005)
Vostok Ice Core Mauna Loa
200
400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0
Years Before 2100 AD IPCC 2001

6.  It’s not much different from what the rest
of us can do
 We all can take action in these areas:
› Conserve energy
› Reduce paper consumption & use recycled when
possible
› Reduce carbon footprints
› Consider where goods come from before buying
› Implement new sustainable methods of operation
› Spread the word
› Invest in environmentally conscious enterprises

7.  Enlist a volunteer to take charge of all things
green in your organizations
 This Eco-Point Person should monitor
compliance with your organization’s plan to
reduce its carbon footprint
 He or she should also ensure that everyone
is aware of their own responsibilities
 He or she should also educate new
employees
 If you rent or lease space in an office
building, get in touch with the landlord to
see what more he or she can do

8.  Turn off lights, computer monitors,
computers, & printers & anything else
powered on when you leave the office.
 Better yet, make sure everyone has a
power strip, and make sure everyone
switches them off when leaving
› This saves tons of power because of
“phantom loads.”
 Install either CFL or LED bulbs everywhere
› CFL bulbs uses 60% less energy than a
conventional incandescent bulb & LED bulbs
can last 60,000 hours while using 2 watts

9.  The folks at Energy Star have estimated
that if every American household
replaces just one incandescent light bulb
with an Energy Star approved bulb, we
could save enough energy to light more
than 3 million homes. We would also
save more than $600 million in yearly
energy costs. If everyone accepted this
challenge, we could prevent GHG
emissions equal to 800,000 cars.

10.  Computers, monitors, & etc.: Get
everyone a power strip – they’re cheap
and they’re one of the most effective
steps you can take.
 But . . . it’s only effective in eliminating
“phantom loads” if everyone switches it
off when leaving. Hey, at least they can’t
complain about having to turn off all six
buttons – all it takes is one switch.

11.  Computers: Contrary to a lot of popular
wisdom, screensavers do not save energy,
and they do not save the screen.
 Instead, the person in charge can ensure
that monitors & computers go into sleep
mode after a period of inactivity.
 Additionally, change power management
settings easily in Control Panel
Power Options Power Saver.
Performance suffers little if at all, and a
good IT person can modify the settings to
suit your needs.

12.  The folks across the river at MIT
contributed the following statistics:
Powering down computers and
monitors can result in significant
energy savings.
› Powering down a single desktop
with a 17” monitor can result in 500
kWh annual savings. An average
size Cambridge home uses 700 kWh
per month.

13.  If you own it, make the following changes in
consultation with the property management types
(if you don’t, try to prevail upon the landlord):
› Adopt recommendations of the USGBC – even if
you’re not putting up a new building now, they
offer helpful guidance about what you can do
with an older structure.
› Consult with your utility or power company
about availability of green power.
› If none’s available, get a different power
company (Ha!) or consider carbon offsets.
› Install a green roof.

14.  Does everyone need balmy indoor
temperatures in the winter, or a frosty
breeze from the air duct in the heat of
the summer?
› How about dress codes allowing sweater
vests? While Fashionistas might look askance
at the bas couture, turning the heat down a
few degrees with a building-wide control
can provide enormous cost & energy
savings. Aim for 65 degrees in the winter and
70 in the summer.

15.  Having your local utility or power
company perform an energy audit can
be a good place to start. They can point
out leaks and recommend cost-saving
solutions.
 Once you’ve made necessary changes,
you can keep track of your progress by
watching your energy bill drop, or by
bringing back the utility auditor for a
second look.

16.  100 % recycled paper or as much post-
consumer recycled content as possible (see
www.newleafpaper.com )
 Encourage double-sided copying
 Use the internet and intranets for internal
paper routing
 Don’t print e-mails, use scanners, and use
small fonts, reduced spacing, & small
margins
 Share reference manuals and other huge
volumes

17.  Recycle, Reduce, & Reuse
› Figure out how to dispose of items not
typically placed in recycle bins, including
potentially dangerous goods like
batteries, construction materials, &
computer, monitor, and printer parts
› Put recycling bins everywhere around the
office and encourage their use with
gentle prodding or outright screaming if
the prodding doesn’t work

18.  Start food, clothing, & book drives in your
publishing houses
› Unused stuff hanging in someone’s closet,
languishing on someone’s pantry shelf, or
collecting dust on someone’s bookshelf
could be a great find for a neighbor or co-
worker
 Put the Eco-Point Person in charge of
establishing relationships with town or
city officials to expand recycling
opportunities to small businesses

19.  More and more car companies are
offering either low-emissions or zero-
emissions cars and light trucks. I’ve
placed my order for a Smart Fortwo – my
brother-in-law will tell me that it’s not a
“real” Mercedes, but I’ll spend less for
gas than him
 Most states have ride-share programs to
promote car pooling
 Walk, ride a bike, or take a motor
scooter to work when possible

20.  How about offering bonuses or other perks
for employees biking to work – discount
gym memberships, bike racks, or financial
incentives?
 Preferred parking spaces for hybrids or other
low emissions/good gas mileage vehicles
 For employee travel, encourage rental of
hybrids – many cities now have exclusively
hybrid car rental companies & most
traditional companies offer hybrid choices

21.  Encourage use of public transportation
 Assign your company’s Eco-Point person
the task of organizing employees to start
letter writing campaigns to local
government leaders & state legislators to
increase availability of public
transportation
 Encourage live meet-ups on-line & work
from home options with incentive
programs

22. Consider where goods come
from before buying
 The average American meal travels more than
1,500 miles – encourage co-workers to buy locally
grown food where possible
 Buy consumer and other electronic products that
have the Energy Star label: Go to
www.EnergyStar.gov.
 Buy fair trade goods, cut back on or eliminate
purchases of cleaning products containing
hazardous chemicals
 Give up single servings – buy in bulk – it’s cheaper
and much more green

24.  Choose companies that implement
sustainable business practices, or
encourage them to change
 Cut down on disposables like styrofoam;
provide reusable plates and other dining
items for lunchrooms
 Choose soy-based ink for outsourced
printing jobs
 Conserve water by choosing flush-free or
low flush toilets

25.  Install water filtration systems to cut down
on bottled water purchases
 Purchase unbleached paper towels &
napkins; or eliminate their use altogether:
reuse & wash cloth instead
 Choose cleaners without toxic ingredients
 Get busy with supplies: recycle cartridges &
toner; reuse old binders, folders & etc; give
furniture and other supplies to charities
rather than dumping

26. Spread the word &
invest in environmentally conscious enterprises
 Ensure your Eco-Point person has the tools
necessary to educate employees and
reward their engagement in the enterprise
 Bring motivational speakers in to increase
awareness and spur further action
 Encourage donations to environmental
causes; consider matching gifts
 Check out Travelers: $227 billion market in
Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability:
http://www.hybridtravelers.com/newsroom.htm

27.  Check out this organization which was
formed by concerned insurance
companies and others.
 Their mission is to address the problem of
global climate change before it
becomes prohibitively expensive to
insure against foreseeable losses.