In the 1992 movie “Singles”, there was a character that was passionate about solving the gridlock problem in Seattle. His solution was the Supertrain, which looked like a 1950s version of the future (all shiny chrome, menacing but approachable) and would make people, in his words, “park and walk”.
He had a valid point, and he backed it up by proposing that the Supertrain would be classier than any subway, providing comfortable seating, great coffee and great music to people as a reward for not driving their individual cars.
After he lined out his great proposal in detail to a girl he was trying to impress, she smiled dismissively. “Yeah, but I really like my car.”
Therein lies the problem, and it was the same in 1992 as it is in 2006 – people like their cars, though now it seems that they like ‘em even bigger and more poisonous than ever. We don’t need a Supertrain now. We have the Internet. I suppose it’s a stretch to ask everyone to stop driving, but it isn’t a stretch to think of seven ways this valuable resource can help to save our planet from ourselves. We just have to think ahead… and now would be a good time to start.
Telecommuting
The internet connects us with people all over the world, and in a matter of seconds. It is fairly user-friendly, and the ultimate source of information. In fact, so many things can be done online that it truly isn’t necessary for everyone with a job to leave for work. There isn’t any reason that people can’t telecommute. The benefits? Here are a few:
- Fewer cars on the road, leading to rush hours that aren’t so rushed, leading to fewer CO2 emissions, leading to less stress and higher productivity in the average worker.
- Lowered energy waste at the actual workplace. Powering up office buildings equals more energy hogging, and for what? People have to unwind, and the stress level involved just in getting to work is enough to decrease their productivity. Getting kids ready and out of the house, planning meetings, scheduling a time when everyone can get together in the conference room…all can be solved with telecommunicating. Have your conference online or in a conference call. If people don’t have to schedule everything else around their eight to five workdays, their schedules thus become more flexible. They’re available in more ways, they don’t have to vent at the water cooler about their commute, and they aren’t blocked mentally in their work flow because they’re trying to figure out how to get their kids to their activities.
It makes so much sense, and the benefits so outweigh the negatives, that it seems ludicrous at best that more companies aren’t seriously considering it. Of course there are jobs in which this wouldn’t be possible, but there are lots more in which it would.
Decreasing costs of communications
Technology and competitive businesses combine to offer us many options to stay in touch. Cell phones are accessible like never before, and they have many more options now. The internet is easy to get at a cheap price, as opposed to the nineties, when being online was the equivalent of a long-distance call. It’s easy to keep in touch with anyone, any time, without leaving the house.. Not sure what was covered in that meeting you missed? Go online and access the minutes. IM a colleague and get the bottom line. The point is, the banquet hall and the conference room are not necessary. Let’s admit it and do something about it.
Keeping in touch with what’s happening
As mentioned earlier, the internet is bursting at the seams with information. All you have to do it type in what you want and the computer does the work for you. Need statistics for some obscure reference in your presentation? Go to Google, or Ask.com, or MSN search, or any other number of search engines. The information is yours in seconds, with plenty of references to back up the information.
Breaking news is happening all the time, and the internet is more up to date than waiting for the six o’clock anchors to brief you on what you could have checked out in depth online hours before.
