[clue-talk] the recent "green" fads - or "Stupid Green"

[Brian Gibson]

> > No official work from home policy, but banning the purchase of plastic 
> water bottles.
> 
> (I burn more in petroleum driving one way to work than all of the 
> bottles this facility went through in a year used, and all of those were 
> RECYCLED!)
> 
> Company picnics and parties 40+ miles from the office area.
> 
> (If I lived near the office, I'd care more... but I live 27 miles away 
> anyway.  I did suggest that I might be thrown in the gulag if I show up 
> at the company party in our family Suburban though -- someone might 
> lynch me.)
> 
> Company required training sessions 30+ miles away at the other company 
> offices, when we are a MANUFACTURER of videoconferencing equipment.
> 
> (Shouldn't using that equipment be MANDATORY, as in "eat your own dog 
> food?"...)

I telecommute to Boston.  I also freelance on the side from home for some extra spending money.  Before that, I commuted from Palo Alto to Santa Clara only to telecommute to some colocated servers from the office.  That said, depending on your occupation you don't need face time 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.  I wish the trend would continue at a faster pace.  Heck even the person taking your drive-through order may not be physically employed at that restaurant.  

So you're right that many initiatives simply move the energy consumption elsewhere rather than reduce the overall demand.  If more employers encouraged telecommuting, demand for gas would drop and so would the prices.