Apr 22, 2021
Happy Earth Day!
Could teleworking help save the planet?
April 22 is Earth Day, a day when people around the world mobilize to protect our planet. This year’s theme is Restore Our Earth.™
Hazelwood Elementary School
Artwork by Ronin Harris, Age 7,
Hazelwood Elementary School
Artwork by Ronin Harris, Age 7,
Hazelwood Elementary School
For many, even the thought of restoring our earth is overwhelming and so abstract that they take the mindset of “I can’t do anything, I’m just one person.” But what about looking at it this way? Alone, we can’t do much, but together we can make great things happen.
Take for instance the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past year, people across the globe have come together with the goal of beating COVID. As a TEAM we ARE beating COVID.
If you think that same effort won’t improve our environment, think again. According to studies during 2020 lockdowns, many areas around the world with high levels of air pollution saw significant drops. One study showed that China alone produced about 200 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide than in 2019 due to reduced air traffic, oil refining and coal consumption. Some scientists say that this reduction alone may have saved at least 77,000 lives.
One study found that daily global carbon emissions during the early lockdown fell by 17 percent and could lead to an annual carbon emissions decline of up to 7 percent. Researchers say that would be the biggest drop since World War II!
These are just a few examples of the significant affects the pandemic lockdown had on our environment. So, what would happen if we continued to work from home at least part-time once we get on the other side of the COVID-19 Pandemic? How would that affect our earth?
Various studies suggest that we would see significant changes in many areas including:
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: By skipping the commute to work, we reduce our carbon footprint. It’s pretty simple: Fewer commutes equals less greenhouse gas emissions. Global Workforce Analytics estimates that if everyone who works in an office would work from home just half of the week, this would reduce the emissions by 54 million tons each year.
Climate change: Telecommuting is part of a climate change solution because using electronics to telecommute saves 9 to 15 billion kilowatt-hours of energy each year. Remote work would reduce the amount of oil we use by 640 million barrels and cut emissions by 54 million tons of greenhouse gas.
Reduces consumption of fossil fuels: Fossil fuel plays an essential role in climate change. Think about how much gas a single person consumes on a 30-minute drive to work. Twice a day. Five times a week. According to the US Energy Information administration, Americans consumed almost 392 million gallons of gas every day in 2018. Imagine what the impact would be if only half of those commuters cut their commute to just a couple of days a week.
Better air quality: This one is pretty much a no-brainer. If we manage to reduce gas emissions by driving less, we will also improve air quality. Air pollution kills more people than HIV, malaria, and the flu combined. Every year, more than 3.3 million people die to consequences of bad air quality.
Reduced energy consumption: Offices typically consume more energy than their employees combined do when they work from home. Just think about huge printing stations in the office and computers being on stand-by instead of off. Heating and cooling systems in large office buildings also take more energy. Some studies suggest that the energy consumption in offices is nearly twice as high as if employees worked from home.
For anyone “out and about” during the early days of the pandemic, it was easy to see how the stay at home orders were impacting the environment. Office buildings were dark. There were very few cars on the road. The air seemed cleaner. What if we each continued those efforts, even in a very small way. What would the impact on our world be?
Happy Earth Day!
More information
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Check the state’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date and reliable info at coronavirus.wa.gov.
See what vaccine phase we are in now at CovidVaccineWA.org. To find out if it’s your turn, visit FindYourPhaseWA.org and our timeline of vaccine phases. Check the vaccine locator map for a list of places where you can get the vaccine, which is provided at no cost.
Answers to your questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington state may be found at our website. You can also contact the Department of Health call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press # from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday — Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.
