Home Office Answers

Did you catch Ed on Larry King last night?  He only got a few minutes of air time at the end of the show.

He suggested that we each try to do the small things to save the environment and we will save some money along the way.

He brought a “real” perspective to his ideas by readily admitting most of us average folks can’t run out and buy a hybrid because the gas price went up.

Make a small adjustment today to save a little energy.  Walk to the store if you can.  Turn off you electronics that are using phantom power, turn up the thermostat during the day.  Find a little way to save energy and cash and try making it a habit.  I’m with ED one small change at a time is the only approach most of us can take.

Ed also had some really cool looking “plastic grass”  someday maybe I can afford that.

Home Depot announced  today they will recycle CFL’s in stores at the return counter.

They also have a plan to change out there existing light bulbs in the stores.

It’s nice to see more easy ways to recycle CFL’s.  You can read about it here

Imagine spending 3 million dollars every time the cost of gas goes up one penny? That’s about 15 million dollars, or more, a day on average right now.

That is a real number for the US Postal Service.  A 3 Million dollar increase in expenses every time the cost of fuel goes up one cent!

YES 3 million dollars.

I believe it really is time to rethink the post office operation and the mail needs of this country.

As I have mentioned more than a few times, at least half of the mail I get in my box is unwanted and not necessary. Why should I be forced to contribute to this problem that I choose NOT to be a part of.

The problem in my opinion is HUGE! The cost OUTRAGEOUS and the waste of resources SHAMEFUL!

I have signed up for many do not mail list. I sign up and constantly request to stop catalogs and yet they still show up in my box weekly.

Why can’t it be simplified? How about a tag on my mailbox that indicates to the carrier, no deliveries allowed to occupant.
No fliers, no papers etc. Shouldn’t that be MY choice.

Shouldn’t my rights as a postal consumer be to only receive mail that is addresses to me?

I also favor elminintaing mail delivery at least one day a week. Think of the billions of dollars in fuel money that will save plus how much gas that will put back in the supply chain. If the USPS agreed to change to delivery 5 days a week starting in 2009 we could see gas prices back below $3.00 a gallon this summer. The announcement alone would stop the wild traders and speculators. I think if they announce it now and start in 2009 everyone will have time to adjust there schedules.

If we can eliminate a small portion of unwanted mail there should not be any extra burden on postal workers by eliminating a delivery day.

Maybe I should write in to Bill O’Reilly on FOX News, it really is time to stand up and do something!

Please share your thoughts by posting a comment

A recent Reuters article highlighted the possibility of cutting back the business hours of convience stores in Japan.

When I was younger, about 30 short years ago, no one in the U.S. had ever heard of 24/7, at least not where I grew up.  I can remember when the grocery stores started opening on holidays and my grandma used to say “DO NOT shop on holidays anywhere, or someday you will be working on the holiday yourself”  Grandma was sure right on that one.

We can barely schedule any family gathering now when someone doesn’t have to work.

Grandma believed very strongly that everyone should be home with their family on a holiday and  Sunday’s too for that matter.  She also knew we would survive Thanksgiving without the whip topping she forgot to put in the grocery cart the day before.  As I write this and remember the holidays I don’t remember what dress I wore, what food we did or didn’t have but I do remember how important family was.  Grandma would always say “turn off the TV when friends and family come,  they are so much more important!”  but that’s a story for another day.

Today let’s think about the price we are paying for 24/7.  The additional energy used to power virtually every store.  Yes I know there is still power on when the store is closed, but every time the outside door opens the climate control system heat or air has to be run harder.  Multiply that number for every store in the U.S.   The lights and computers in most stores NEVER get shut down.  The next time you are shopping at Walmart, look at how many lights are on.  AMAZING!

I would be in favor of returning to having to make it to the store before 10:00p.m.  I think if I don’t have it by then I can most likely make it until 7:00 a.m. without it and maybe that would save enough energy to help save our planet.

I am sure there are people who find it convenient to shop late, so maybe stores should offer 1 or 2 nights a week with extra hours instead of everyday at least until we can get used to a non 24/7 world again.

Maybe we would all take more time for friends and family.

What do you think? Please post your comments.

After receiving my ever increasing electric bill I decided it is time to unplug or at least power down all my home office equipment when I leave my office each day.

At first I was a little resistant to this idea, thinking I was already conserving power with the devices in sleep mode.

Then I read this quote  ”Our tests found that leaving a Playstation 3 on while not in use would cost almost… five times more than it would take to run a refrigerator for the same yearly period,” said the study which was published on Choice’s website www.choice.com.au.”

Now of course I don’t have a playstation3 in my home office (darn it), but I do have a couple of printers, a credit card processor, a caller id box and a laptop.

Now when I am done working for the day I turn off the power strip and that cuts the power to each of these devices.  I feel like I have helped in a small way make my home office greener and save a little energy for another day.  It’s too early to tell if my electric bill will benefit too.

I have noticed an advantage I was not anticipating; I feel more “unplugged”.  With everything off I choose not to run back in after dinner to finish that one last job, or check email or voicemail one last time.

So if you don’t already unplug your office, I highly recommend you give it a try.