Author : Jim Kemp

Going green may begin at home-but there’s no doubt that it continues at work Recycling bins, bringing your own mug instead of using paper cups, turning off lights, closing doors and lowering blinds are some ways that employees make an effort

But what about how you store and organize information? Isn’t it time to trade outdated processes and overstuffed filing cabinets for something more sustainable?

Paper Pitfalls

The average office worker in the US uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year-or two pounds of paper a day (Source: EPA )

Where does it all go? Placed in files, shuffled between employees, sent to shipping, tossed in the trash Offices rent storage space, or require bigger offices for all their paper documents And not only do they take up space, all that paper is a risk for security and fire damage

Not to mention incredibly inefficient

A (compact fluorescent) light bulb over your head

Have you thought about electronic document management?

An electronic document management system is just that: online and paperless It’s a business software application designed to digitally store documents into a repository

Documents can include everything from invoices to emails to contracts to health records-anything you need As the documents are stored in the system, they are associated with index information referred to as metadata attributes With metadata, users can quickly query documents using a web browser or other client application and retrieve the documents electronically on the computer screen

These systems offer an office numerous capabilities, including storing, indexing and retrieving documents Additional functionality may involve electronic routing of documents for approval, email archiving, records retention management, document scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), online collaboration with vendors and suppliers, security, disaster recovery, and reporting

It’s a paperless office solution that reduces your carbon footprint and increases efficiency

Green, Clean, and Fast

Because when you need a document, you need it quickly Paperless information can be searched and retrieved much faster, without leaving your desk Filing and retrieval is reduced from minutes to seconds-a huge productivity gain

Plus, it’s easier to share information Not just because files are online, but also to collaborate: A paperless system supports collaboration tools like check-in/check-out, document version control, email archiving, and remote access

Not to mention secure: Digital documents are more easily backed-up, and can be made available quickly in the event of a disaster

How can this help me?

Just think about all the times you’ve tried to get something accomplished off-line Processing an invoice for payment? Keeping all necessary records in an archive? And when multiple employees work on a single document, how can you be sure it’s the most current version?

Here are just a few examples where electronic document management can help you go lean and green:

-Electronic Approvals: Electronically route documents for review and approval, apply digital signatures, and create electronic markups Reviewing documents online reduces demand for paper and ink

-Digital Archiving: Electronically archive paper documents in PDF or Tiff formats Digitally archiving your documents reduces the need for paper storage facilities, limits exposure to fire/flood damage, and promotes recycling efforts

-Collaboration: Share documents online with co-workers, vendors, and suppliers By providing electronic access to documents, companies reduce delays, cut costs, and lower the environmental impacts of shipping paper documents

Processing an invoice is another great example

An invoice arrives It needs to be routed up the approval chain for payment In a paper world, this process is slow, invoices get misplaced, data is manually entered, people forget to approve, and so on Yet for many companies, a paper-based process is still the norm

In the digital era, paper-based processes such as invoice approval can be easily automated This way, an invoice would arrive and be digitized, capturing data that is automatically incorporated into accounting systems Notifications with electronic copies of the invoices go out to approvers, and simple workflow steps ensure that the necessary approvals are obtained, and accounting receives notification of approval and pays the bill

The big benefit is time Time is money

In addition to financial costs, the environmental impacts cannot be ignored The production process to produce paper stock requires harvesting trees, consumes significant energy leading to increased greenhouse gases, and involves chemicals that we weren’t allowed to touch in chemistry class

All this goes to show how electronic document management can help employees work faster, smarter, and greener

Jim Kemp, ECM and Document Locator Professional. Document Locator is an enterprise-class document management system designed to enhance efficiency, reduce risk and improve collaboration. Get Document Management information.

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Author : James Johnson

An awareness of the importance of energy efficiency is at an all time high and likely only to get higher still Renewable or more effective energy sources are no longer just topics pushed by companies peddling their wares but are now international news headlines and political agendas

With the recent revelation that all UK homes are to be fitted with a smart energy meter by the year 2020, this further emphasises the point Energy performance certificates are now a legal requirement when buying or selling a property; these certificates grade the energy efficiency of a building and suggest ways of improving it in the future

Just driving around or going about daily business, it is becoming very obvious that solar power is not only being introduced but being embraced Schools in particular seem to be installing solar panels to contribute to their power sources and what better place for solar energy to be present, where our future generations are being primed for life and prepared as the next custodians of the planet

So what is this solar power that is becoming and going to become the bedrock of energising the world?

Well Wikipedia describes it as follows, “Solar energy refers primarily to the use of solar radiation for practical ends” and goes on to say, “Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight ”

The active solar power we are referring to uses photovoltaic panels, pumps and fans and then converts the sunlight into useable outputs “Active solar technologies increase the supply of energy and are considered supply side technologies, while passive solar technologies reduce the need for alternate resources and are generally considered demand side technologies”

Many modern housing estates are now being built with solar energy in mind, effectively allowing buyers to choose to move straight into a home with active solar power rather than converting an existing property, although having said that many people have already converted or are in the process of converting their homes to solar energy systems Personal conviction is one driving force for these changes but ultimately long term financial savings are another benefit

It is a geographical fact that the further south one resides the more effective solar energy Unless the earth decides to alter its position in the solar system this will always be the case However this does not limit more northern residents from enjoying renewable energy as a combination of wind power, solar energy, underground heating sources and systems can remain just as effective

James Johnson, answers some of the questions about smart energy.
You can find more info about energy performance certificates here.

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Author : James Nash

I’ve heard just about every argument under the sun when discussing the greenhouse gas offsets model with friends and colleagues After hearing these arguments for the first time, I often wondered whether the comments were justified or whether they were just a pile of excuses for not making the voluntary step (in the context of travel) For the purposes of this article, “carbon offsets” and “greenhouse gas offsets” are used interchangeably Although carbon dioxide is considered an important greenhouse gas (GHG), it is not the only GHG that is offset through the numerous programs available worldwide

Those that are not as familiar with all forms of carbon offsetting often link the concept immediately to reforestation or tree planting which can produce a carbon sink and help an individual, group or organization achieve a ‘climate neutral’ status While this is a common form of carbon offsetting, there are various other types of useful offset projects This is important because a lot of controversy surrounding offsets seems to have its roots in reforestation project criticism

Although many organizations and individuals invest in GHG offsets irrespective of travel (e g Offsetting industrial operations), a significant driver for the birth of this model is the pollution caused by our local and international travel While road transportation obviously amounts to a large portion of world CO2 emissions, the intensity (impact per passenger km) and diversity of air travel stands out as well In addition to altering atmospheric concentrations of CO2, ozone and methane, airplane emissions lead to the formation of contrails while emitting water vapor, sulphur oxides, nitric oxides, nitrogen dioxide and soot8

Although there seems to be sufficient evidence linking our travels (particularly by car and plane) to global warming and atmospheric degradation, many travellers are hesitant to take that next step to offset their emissions while away from home Yes, not everyone feels strongly enough about the environment to pay more for a trip voluntarily but among those that do, I believe this unwillingness has its roots with both the public and the “carbon neutral” companies I feel both must put forth more effort to keep GHG offsets transparent and useful When it comes to investing in carbon or greenhouse gas offsets, the onus is on you as the consumer to ensure you are contributing to a true and efficient offset program By doing your research and investing only in companies that have taken all the appropriate steps, you will help to add more credibility to certification programs and spur organizations to improve their business and operate more responsibly

Foundations such as the Gold Standard makes one’s decision much easier as they work to alleviate the major concerns surrounding this environmental economic model and provide a label to carbon offsetting projects To ease your research efforts, independent websites simplify the process by allowing you access to a useful database of GHG offset companies with an unbiased rating included These companies have been emerging fast from out of the woodwork so it is important to know who is legit and who is not – most importantly, knowing where your investment is going

After doing more research myself, I am convinced that the process of purchasing carbon/greenhouse gas offsets can be fair and rewarding, and also of lasting benefit to the environment I will also agree with what David Suzuki said when I saw him on the “If You Were Prime Minister Tour” – that at least in the short term, as we more towards cleaner technologies and methods, carbon offsets help to fill the gap A certain amount of trust is ultimately put on to the offset company and also on a 3rd party to ensure the project is controlled and streamlined, but with the maturity of certification and carbon offset organizations, many purchasers believe this is a non-issue

In conclusion, I’m not going to start naming celebrities and musicians who swear by carbon offsets while on tour – I’ll spare you the lame angle Whether you have already supported offset projects or are thinking about it in the future, even Pearl Jam knows to do their homework before jumping into it blind Oops, that one slipped

James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.

James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.

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Author : Chris Blastoyout

The state of Nebraska utilizes the five R’s of recycling in its state-wide program: reduce, reuse, recycle, re-buy and rethink According to Nebraska resources, the amount of useless garbage produced by each person daily has doubled in the past thirty-five years Recycling is an important resource in stopping this trend in its tracks By recycling, this waste has the potential to be completely vanquished

Nebraska defines reduction as the change in design, manufacture, purchase, or use of material products (this includes any packaging) to reduce the toxicity in what will become municipal solid waste Source reduction actually prevents the production of this waste, and so it’s the most preferred recycling method, as it does the most in protecting environmental resources A few tips on source reduction: don’t buy anything you don’t need, and make sure that what you do buy will last (and that it’s as toxin-free as is possible) It’s a good idea to use both sides of printing paper, and Nebraska state resources recommend using bulletin boards and email to spread the word on reducing paper usage

Reusing is a method that is practiced in garage sales, thrift stores, antique malls, and auctions, and chances are the most Nebraskans have participated in this recycling method by reusing objects that would have otherwise have been headed to the local landfill Participating in the redistribution process of any and all materials from those who no longer need the materials to those who have a use for them is an important aspect of Nebraska’s recycling initiative A good way to put this redistribution process into practice is to use a product more than once – either for the same or a different purpose Reusing is preferable to recycling in that an item doesn’t need to be reprocessed before it can be reused Not reprocessing everything is a good way to save the resources that go into the reprocessing of recyclables, such as reducing the amount of water used, and the amount of air pollution and greenhouse gases released Reusing provides a method to get materials to less fortunate people, at a nationwide and even worldwide level

Actual recycling turns materials that would have been destined for the landfill into important resources The social, financial, and environmental resources involved in the process are vast and varied Materials such as glass and aluminum are collected, separated, and sent to factories where they are reprocessed and made into new materials

The re-buy aspect of Nebraska’s recycling steps simply asks that residents buy recycled products These recycled products can be recycled again, and are an integral part of the recycling circle In this way these products are kept from filling up landfills, and kept in the hands of the environmentally responsible

Rethinking, in terms of the Nebraska recycling policy, asks that residents stop to think before throwing away materials that could be reused or recycled Also, residents should think twice when they are shopping, and buy as many resources from recyclables as possible

Chris Blastoyout shares How-To tips and other information for Omaha Nebraska Water Damage Restoration and Omaha Nebraska Flood Damage Cleanup

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Author : Samson Paulotti

The Minnesota Energy Resources is a natural gas utility company that services 206,000 customers in 51 counties and 165 communities in the whole state of Minnesota As part the Integrys Energy Group, the Minnesota Energy Resources has been at the forefront of providing safe and reliable natural-gas distribution to the people of this state for more that 70 years

The Minnesota Energy Resources recognizes the importance of maintaining high standards regarding the use of energy and how it can affect the world and the environment With this commitment, the company has developed their ten environmental principles that they use as a guide in their operations in finding ways to serve the growing demands for energy in an environmental friendly way Part of this commitment is to comply and exceed the air emission and greenhouse gas regulations that have been put in place by federal and state agencies

The following is a description of the ten-point environmental principles that the Minnesota Energy Resources follow in their quest for an environmental friendly way of generating energy These principles should be benchmarked by other companies involved in energy production that will be safe not only for the natural resources in Minnesota, but also for other parts of the world

*Protect the Environment

This should be the main goal of every corporate entity, not only in the energy industry but for others as well Environmental stewardship should be the norm and industries should conduct operations that meet and surpass environmental standards

*Use Natural Resources Responsibly

Every organization should be responsible when using nature’s gifts not only in Minnesota but in other parts of the globe Renewable sources include water, soils and forests Conservation of these resources should be one of the top priorities for all industries

*Reduce and Dispose of Waste

Industries should minimize the creation of waste, particularly toxic and hazardous wastes Organizations should practice recycling and all wastes should be properly disposed through safe and responsible methods

*Use Energy Wisely

During operations, industries should improve on their energy efficiencies as well as practicing conservation In the case of Minnesota Energy Resources which is also a supplier of energy, commitment to this principle involves encouraging and educating customers in energy conservation

*Reduce Risk

Industries should reduce all environmental, health and safety risks in all their operations and for their employees and communities

*Market Safe Products and Services

Industries should only produce and market products that are safe to the environment and to the people

*Compensate for Damage

In cases where harm has befallen the environment for a particular project or activity, the company should take responsibility for the harm done and should exert additional efforts for remediation

*Disclose Environmental Information

In a similar way, the company should immediately inform their employees, the community and the state regarding possible safety hazards or incidents related to their operations

*Employ Environmental Directors or Managers

A responsible and committed company should provide managerial resources to implement these principles This includes public and managerial feedback on all efforts in this regard

*Annual Evaluation

A committed and responsible company should conduct a periodic self-evaluation of their progress in implementing these principles

Samson Paulotti reports on issues affecting homeowners for The Restoration Resource Minnesota and Cleaning & Restoration Information

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