Going “Green” in Our Own Offices
Rightfully so, the environment has become a major concern for society. The word has gotten out about the threats of global warming, limited resources and other problems. The carbon dioxide level today is higher than at any other level in the past million years.
The U.S., of course, is perhaps the country most responsible for environmental woes. We have the biggest carbon footprint of any country by far. We drive cars, buy and dispose of products and consume more resources than anybody else.
Fortunately, there is now an understanding of the need to act before it’s too late. New buildings are built with the environment in mind. Recycling programs are becoming more widespread. People are becoming educated on what to do and what not to do.
Kevin Coyle of the National Wildlife Foundation recently addressed the Philadelphia Bar Association Leadership Retreat. He provided several ways that we can help stay “green” in our own law firms and offices. Here are just a sampling:
- Recycling paper/cans/glass (such as having recycling containers throughout the offices)
- Don’t print out all emails and documents
- Print out doublesided documents (other than documents to the court)
- E-mail meeting agendas instead of having an excess number of them printed out
- Reduce electricity/energy consumption by turning off lights/computers/monitors when not in use (such as at night)
- Using coffee mugs instead of plastic cups
With everyone pitching in, we can all do our part for the environment.
Hey John — thank you very much for writing on this initiative — as you know, Chancellor Scott Cooper has directed the formation of a “Green” Task Force to look at how we can be more environmentally-friendly as a bar association and within our own offices/practices. Several young-lawyer leaders have already volunteered to become part of the task force, including Rachel Kopp and Jocelyn Gabrynowicz-Hill. If there are other young lawyers out there who’d like to get involved, please don’t hesitate to contact me (at 215-772-7211) or task force co-chair Kim Jessum (at Stradley Ronon).