Could Telecommuting Be The Next Big Carbon Killer

It’s no secret that the world is now facing a critical challenge when it comes to carbon emissions. And gas-guzzling cars & daily rush-hour traffic are usually highlighted as the primary cause of unnecessary CO2 emissions, which seem to be adding to the woes of humans. Air pollution seems to be on the rise, making the environment less habitable.
Think of the number of fatalities caused due to respiratory ailments. The situation is so critical that not only are humans facing the threat of pollution outdoors, but also indoors. It is a well-known fact that air circulation and ventilation are a must when it comes to keeping a house comfortable.

But if the outdoor air brings with it microparticles that are harmful to the respiratory system, then will it even make any sense to get the air circulated from the interior to the exterior (of the house) and vice-versa? This crisis has led to an increase in regular indoor air tests (conducted with the help of specialists like the ones at DUCTZ of Greater Columbia) and the use of air purifiers.

Truthfully, there is a significant movement in the residential sector regarding indoor air quality and how it can be regulated, which is why HVACs, that are operated by propane are more popular now than ever. This appears to have gained so much traction that builders seem to be encouraging homeowners to opt for propane conversions (replacing non-clean gas-operated furnaces with the modern propane heat system). After all, charity begins at home. And what better way to contribute towards the reduction of pollution than using one of the cleanest natural gases?

Anyway, it seems that everyone wants to participate in this process of saving the planet from pollution. That must be the reason why even the recently built homes without the feature of HVAC are going in for tank installs for new homes, so that they have a way of maintaining the air quality inside their home. But even if these steps are opted for by homeowners to reduce the chances of lung failure or similar pollution-related diseases caused by poor indoor air quality, how can they combat outdoor pollution? Thankfully, electric cars are helping in dealing with that issue. These vehicles have taken off over the years, with people slowly adopting them as their new mode of transportation.

With online help offering electric car subscription packages for those who want to keep using electric cars to help cut down on emissions, we are being opened up to a whole new world. Although it will probably be another 20 years before we’re all driving electric cars, there is another – much more practical – way to eliminate the negative effects of our daily work commute.

In 1993, AT&T proposed a series of shockingly ambitious future predictions in their “You Will” commercial series. And what’s even more shocking is the fact that most of the predictions laid out in these commercials were spot-on.

However, the “work from the beach” mobile computing scenario highlighted in these commercials never really played out the way AT&T had hoped. Although the technology to make this world a reality certainly exists, there are still many political barriers which exist amongst employers who are afraid to let go for reasons relating to productivity, security or control.

But with the new generation of “digital natives” entering the workplace, employers are beginning to loosen up these attitudes in order to attract and retain the best talent by offering the most attractive lifestyle benefits.

A few larger organizations have recently begun to experiment with large-scale telecommuting projects, and the results have been impressive. In early 2012, British telecom company O2 announced that they planned to cut over 160,000,000 tonnes of unnecessary carbon emissions over the next 3 years by allowing employees to work remotely.

So far, their efforts have shown that the negative effects of telecommuting are miniscule when compared to the benefits. Less than 12% of participating employees have shown negative effects on productivity, while 36% actually saw an increase. The company also experienced significant cost-savings from reduced office use.

Allowing employees to telework also provides employees with significant non-monetary incentives:

• Instead of waiting in rush-hour traffic every morning, this time is better spent.
• Employees can go on vacation and work from anywhere in the world without taking time off.
• Employees can establish synergistic coworking groups to stimulate and share ideas. (ex: 5 programmers from different companies working together in the same space)

And best of all, telecommuting is completely secure:

• VPNs ensure that network connections remain secure while working remotely
• Today, most productivity applications can be delivered via virtualized desktops or SaaS interfaces

Employee telecommuting is a practical, inexpensive and very attractive alternative to driving to work every day. And it’s growing in popularity at an accelerating pace. According to IDC, the number of employees working from home offices will exceed 27 million. (They most likely meant US workers, but didn’t mention it explicitly in the article)

Could this be the scalable, sustainable answer to smog and automotive pollution? Leave your comments below and let’s discuss.

About The Author: For more information on green computing and telecommuting, visit Paul Rudo’s blog at http://enterprisefeatures.com.