As you may know, today is Blog Action Day — a day when over 15,000 blogs (and growing) are posting about the environment.
You’d think that would be off-topic for this blog. On the contrary — being a home-based entrepreneur is one of the most eco-friendly gigs you can have.
For instance…
There’s the 30 Second Commute
Rather than sitting in traffic, spewing out carbon into the atmosphere, you simply walk up the stairs, or into the other room. No pollution, no road rage, just natural human energy (though this may be your only exercise).
Save Electricity by Going for the “Keanu-Reeves-Between-Films” Look
Let’s say you’re an electric razor guy like me. As a home-based entrepreneur, you likely rarely meet anyone face-to-face — what with email, IM, and the phone. So by taking a cue from Keanu, and only shaving on occasion, you can save enough electricity to power a small nightlight.
Reserve the Dry-Cleaning For Special Cases
Dry-cleaning chemicals are not very environmentally friendly. Just by having meetings over the phone or IM, and refusing to attend any event that requires more than a nice t-shirt and cargo pants, you can avoid having to do any dry-cleaning. Except for (hopefully) rare circumstances.
Conserve Water by Forgetting to Shower
Most home-based entrepreneurs are so obsessed involved with their ventures, that they often forget some basic things. Showering comes to mind. That 5 or 10 minutes could be better used to follow-up on an email, and at the same time, conserves water and helps the planet.
You Have No Time to Do Any Damage
Gone are the days when you had free time to ride your quad-runner through the pristine wilderness, or go kayaking along the Alaskan coastline with a 12-pack, and no garbage bag. Because you have very little free time, the impact you used to have on the environment has decreased.
Now, some of this is tongue-and-cheek, of course (I do shower, I promise, and I never littered in Alaska). But in all good humor, there has to be a kernel of truth — and this is no exception.
As a home-base entrepreneur, you have the unique opportunity to have a small impact on the environment, all while having a big impact on the world.
Just another good reason to give it a go…
Great stuff Tony! I’m especially in favor of the “Keanu-Reeves-Between-Films†look, brilliant.
I love it! You have the best sense of practicality and humor wrapped up into one creative package.
I certainly believe in washing every day, but I’m not convinced it has to be in a shower or a tub. Showers are more convenient, but not necessary.
More to the point, connecting with people remotely instead of flying to meetings and conferences is a big plus for the environment. Just traveling to annual conferences is a huge burden on the environment. Scientist are struggling with this…see “Greening the Meeting” in the October 5 edition of Science.
Heh. I almost wrote something way too much like this. Glad I changed my mind at the last minute – especially because you did a better job than I would have! 😉
Tanner – Yeah, scruffy is cool.
Char – Thanks! I love that description.
Jean – Another reason I love doing business online.
Wendy – Great minds. It just goes to show how close the joke is to reality 😉
Yes, by saving fuel, we are doing our bit.
By not parking our cars at parking lots, we are suggesting to have smaller parking lots at offices and have trees instead.
By using the bedroom for office, we are saving office space for others.
By not having lunch at office food joint and instead by preparing our self, we are using less polythene.
We are so good… ( I just realized)
I want to be serious:-
Though computers are creating type of waste which can only create poisonous gases on planet, as on this date IT (including home-based businesses, significantly blogging) is the most eco-friendly way of making a living. (Of course, we need to ignore the waste to be content)
Sorry for spoiling everybody’s mood 🙂 even I don’t know any other means to earn except blogging.
Have a wonderful day!
Awanish,
I’ve been concerned about the impact of computers on the environment, too, but I think some manufacturers are becoming aware of the problem. We’ve been buying from Dell and they not only pay for the recycling, they make it easy to ship our old equipment back. As I recall, they even took a printer from another company the last time we did it.
Hi Tony,
Using online technology is another way to for home based businesses to be more eco-friendly.
I have written more about this topic on my The Small Business Blog.
I believe as we go on we will develop more and more technologies to reduce or off-set our carbon footprint.
Stefan
Hello, this is very interesting article! I want to write more for us:)
great article thanks for it!