GreenTips is a monthly Kiplinger Recommends feature from Greener World Media Inc., which writes environmental news and advice for business in a variety of Web-based publications, including GreenBiz.com, GreenerComputing, ClimateBiz and GreenerBuildings.
Business travel is often an annoying necessity. It is also a major environmental nuisance, with each jet plane trip pumping tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and hotels using up water and energy.
The easiest way to cut the cost and environmental damage of business travel is to make sure it’s absolutely needed. Instant communication and sharing of information through the internet has made it easier for many companies to reduce the number of sales calls, and multilocation teleconferencing can help to cut back on face-to-face meetings.
But some travel is unavoidable, and many businesses are now trying to find ways to lessen the environmental impact. "Beyond simply cutting travel, there are indications of interest among corporate travel buyers in integrating environmental factors into their purchasing criteria, much as many companies already do in other aspects of procurement," GreenBiz.com says. GreenBiz offers tips on how to make business trips more green. CO2 emissions can be at least partially offset by contributing to groups that plant trees on a company’s behalf. High-mileage rental cars are becoming more widely available. Necessary meetings can be set up to reduce waste and lessen travel demands of many participants.
POSTED BY: Math Genius (May 06, 2008 05:37 PM)
MATH ERROR!
A Boeing 737 holds up to 20 tons of fuel in its tanks. It will just make the trip LA to NYC on a full tank. Therefore it will use 40 tons of fuel for a round trip. So, in very approximate numbers the plane creates 40 tons of CO2 on a transcontinental trip, NOT 400!