nicdarling

I am away on vacation if by vacation we mean trying to work in an unknown town with limited internet resources and sporadic phone service. Yes, I know. Vacation and work are not meant to be intertwined, but alas, the startup life is one that intertwines work with virtually everything. Fortunately, this “work”, justifies my constant access to the bounties of the information super highway and allows me to present a sampling of its wonders to you, our faithful readers. Look at this cool stuff I found . . .

• The first one was built to deter invading hordes of barbarians, but the new great wall in China seems to be encouraging them to enter. Huge, shiny and environmentally conscious. What barbarian could resist. Unfortunately, it could just be a sparkly piece of bait to lure us into their poisoned air.
• Okay, he calls gas “petrol” and gas stations “garages” but I’ll forgive him for being some kind of crazy foreigner. If I don’t, he might turn his amazing powers of prescience on me. Imagine a picture of yours truly in 20 to 30 years. If that wouldn’t drive my fiancee away, I don’t know what would.
• Call me stuck in the 18th century, but bloomers are a wonderful undergarment, rife with mystery and comfortable to boot. Anyway, it is nice to see them used to illustrate something other than puritanical backwardness for once.
• Chad actually found this link and shared it with me in Google Reader, so I struggled with whether or not I should use it. After all, he has his own links quota to fill now. Then I remembered that the link was about beer and I thought to myself “I like beer. I like talking about beer. Who is this Chad character to try to stand between me and talking about beer. I’ll show him . . . etc.” Anyway, here’s the link. Sorry Chad.
• I’ll admit that I’m linking to this because the article uses the word ecosexual, but really, it is a great example of the way in which the word green is being exploited to market virtually everything without requiring much in the way of green performance from the product, service or social event. First it’s green speed dating and next thing you know I’m headed out for green snow mobiling with my pals from the green bowling team in our green SUVs.

I pledge to regulate the thermostat to minimize energy use during unoccupied periods.

I’ll be honest. I don’t even know where the thermostat is in the office. I know . . . I’m a terrible green office advocate (but a great rock-paper-scissors player).

Even if I did know where the thermostat was it is unlikely I would need to adjust it often. Our office is also Chad’s home and, as such, is occupied pretty much all the time. The temperature is also kept at such a level as to provide the minimum necessities of comfort.

Now, some of you may be fortunate (or foolish) enough to have an office space separate from your home. This space is probably empty 50% of the time unless you are a severe workaholic in which case . . . seek help. For you non-workaholics (or at least less severe) this means you might be heating or cooling a bunch of stuff that doesn’t care how hot or cold it is like desks and chairs. Some quick adjustments to the thermostat on the way out could go a long way toward saving energy and a few bucks on the bills.

Chad’s Green Office Tips

Regulating the thermostat in your home or office is one of the easiest and most cost effective methods to reduce energy use. . The basic idea is to set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature only when people are occupying the office and then to change the setting when the office is empty to a temperature that will be easier to maintain.

This can be done manually or automatically with a programmable thermostat and can save up to $200 a year on your energy and cooling bills. It is relatively easy to assign someone, say your green office advocate, to adjust the temperature on the thermostat in the mornings and then again in the evenings when everyone is leaving work. An even easier way to make sure that the thermostat is being adjusted to the exact temperature desired at the right time every day is to buy a programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat can run as little as $30 so the payback is well under one year from energy savings. You can purchase models that will have one setting for the weekdays and another for the weekend (5+2), 2 different settings for each weekend day (5+1+1) or an individual setting for each day of the week (7-day). A 5+2 day model should be sufficient for most offices.

Currently I monitor and manually adjust our thermostat in our home/office based on the time of day, outside weather conditions and visitors we have in order to maximize efficiency. For most others that are not as crazy as I, a programmable thermostat is the way to go.

For more detailed info on this topic including recommended setpoints and times as well as purchasing guides, visit the energy star website brought to us by our lovely federal government.

This post is part of our ongoing, 30 part series breaking down the Green Office Pledge. Sign up for the pledge and be sure to check out the rest of the series for more tips and anectdotes.

Promise 2: I pledge to make any office renovation a green renovation.

This promise should be easier to keep than most of the others on the list as it is something that probably doesn’t come up every day or even every week. Unless you are masochistic and/or easily bored, you aren’t renovating the office very often. In fact, most of you have probably never renovated your offices and are just looking around now and thinking, “this place could use some sprucing up.” Well, before you spruce up take a minute and make sure your spruce is sustainable.

The home office we currently work out of hasn’t demanded too much in the way of renovations, and since we didn’t take before and after pictures it may be kind of hard to see what has changed. In order to better illustrate the green renovations we have made we have been forced to borrow before pictures that approximate the state in which the place began.

A Postgreen Renovation Example

(Before picture not actually of the Postgreen office.)

The Conference Table
We thought our original conference table was a little out of date and a lot uncomfortable.

So, we (by we I mean Chad) grabbed some construction scrap materials and some low VOC finish and went to work on building our beatiful new table for talking across. Now, we just need to find enough people who want to talk to us to make this thing look full.

There have been a few other small renovations like sealing doors & windows and low VOC painting and staining, but nothing really exciting. Don’t worry though. You’ll be the first to know if we undertake a larger, more interesting renovation project.

Chad’s Green Office Tips:

Performing office renovations falls outside of the realm of more minor items on the list like using CFL light bulbs and regulating the thermostat more wisely. A renovation could include painting the office, installing a new bathroom or kitchenette or simply setting up a new workstation for a new hire.

Below is a list of recommendations when embarking on such green renovations for the office. I do not go into detail on specific products as there are quite a number out there now and the list is growing every day. A simple Google search should reveal good options and if not, feel free to ask in the comments and we’ll look into an item for you.

1. Use Low or No VOC paints, stains, sealants, caulks and finishes of any kind.
2. Incorporate used items from a local thrift store or architectural salvage shop when possible.
3. Use low-flow plumbing fixtures including dual flush toilets when renovating kitchens and baths. If you are really adventurous, try a composting toilet.
4. Use recycled/reclaimed and low-VOC content materials when possible for things like flooring, tile and ceiling panels.
5. Consider possible solutions to encourage natural daylight and views for all employees.
6. When replacing HVAC equipment always use high-efficiency equipment and don’t be afraid to explore innovative solutions that may use significantly less energy such as natural ventilation.
7. When using lumber or sheet products, try to use FSC certified and zero formeldahyde products as much as possible.
8. Use local labor, material suppliers and consultants when renovating.
9. Be creative.

Many green renovations can also save money for new businesses tight on cash. For example, two used filing cabinets and a used door make a great desk for a fraction of the price and carbon footprint of a new one. Be creative and focus on the renovations that are going to provide you and your employees a healthier and more pleasurable work environment.

This post is part of our ongoing, 30 part series breaking down the Green Office Pledge. Sign up for the pledge and be sure to check out the rest of the series for more tips and anectdotes.

We have celebrated our nation’s independence, started a delicious breakfast club and begun a significant blog undertaking, and I still find time to scour the internet for entertaining and educational links just for you. See how much I care. Now, look at this . . .

• Finally someone found a good use for Coors Lite that doesn’t involve incapacitating frat boys.
• Hello new epoch. Goodbye world as we know it?
• The orientation of your toilet paper roll is no longer a simple style choice. Careful consideration of the over/under debate reveals the proper way to hang your wipes. Did someone say low fiction coefficient?
• Kegs are green. I just wanted to get that out of the way so there are no doubts about my reasons for posting this. Yes, I like beer. I like outdoor parties where said beer is served. But, in the end kegs are green and that is why I am pointing at this.
• Since we are on the topic of beer anyway, let’s talk about accessories.
• Do not go gentle into that good night . . . go green.
• And finally a little something for your inner geek. Though I have to say the Millennium Falcon did not look properly maintained for optimal mileage.

Promise 1: I pledge to designate a Green Office Advocate for my company to hold us accountable for our pledge.

Every effort needs a leader just like every body needs a head. Without heads there would be a lot of bodies wandering into traffic, walking into walls and generally screwing up anything requiring cognitive thought. In the same way plans for which no one has direct responsibility tend to self-destruct or fizzle out as time passes. At the very least, every effort needs someone to blame when things go wrong.

The Green Office Pledge, if taken seriously (which we encourage), is a complicated undertaking. The position of Green Office Advocate is vital to maintaining the momentum and focus needed to make progress in each of the other 29 promises to which you have agreed. The person chosen for this position should be considered carefully. Traits such as organization, leadership, communication skills and a drive to institute change are good indicators of an acceptable candidate. Though, in lieu of these, a simple will to do th job could suffice. It will be a thankless task at times and in many cases require more work with no remuneration. Thus, it is important that the person sees the result as its own reward.

The process of choosing a Green Office Advocate will vary in each organization. Some might hold an election, interview potential appointees, or if you have a small office (like ours) and the candidates are equally qualified (or not), you might resort to rock paper scissors as we did.

Postgreen Green Office Advocate Rock Paper Scissors Contest: Best of Three

We shall see whether rock paper scissors skills equate to Green Office Advocate ability. I am looking forward to the new role and the power and prestige that goes along with it.

Chad’s Green Office Tips

Some of the responsibilities and duties of the Green Office Advocate could include the following:

1. Dissemination of the Green Office Pledge to all employees
2. Periodic training for employees as need on green office initiatives
3. Tracking of Green Office measureables (utility bills, steps implemented…)
4. Monthly updates to the office on overall progress towards greening the office
5. Organizing green office work events to collectively green the office

Last week we received an email about the Green Office Pledge. This pledge, designed by a group of Philadelphia organizations, is a challenge to local businesses to green up their act. Basically, the hope is that each business will fill out the online web form to “sign” the pledge and then attempt to abide by thirty different promises. Naturally, we liked the idea behind this and quickly added our name to the growing list of pledges. Now we are going to take it one step further.

This intro is the first in a thirty-one (yes I said 31) part blog series which will look closely at each promise in the Green Office Pledge. We will discuss the merits of each promise and the ways in which one might seek to abide by the pledge. We will also probably engage in tangental rants, witty digressions and bizarre, semi-related antics. Hopefully, in the end, we will have a plethora of possible ways in which each of our businesses can positively impact the environment, or at least impact it less negatively.

This series, due to its daunting scope, will be a collabrative effort between all of us at postgreen (Chad and Nic). We will work together to fashion an educational, entertaining expansion of the pledge’s concepts. Well, maybe that is promising a bit much. Let’s say we will attempt to at least slog through all thirty promises and come out with one or two good ideas amidst the inevitable wanderings of my prose and Chad’s eclectic green geekdom.

Hopefully the input of our wonderful readers will fill the gaps in our efforts. We are all counting on you.

We are currently discussing the shape and direction of this blog, and this has turned out to be a great excuse for my inborn laziness. I feel no compunction to write posts that may be contrary to the eventual blogging strategy we develop, and therefore, I have resorted to silence during the planning process. Fortunately, the “Look at This” section seems likely to be an ongoing feature so you will not have to do without the benefit of my wanderings and wittisisms during our time of blog meditation. So while we argue the various blog focus options look at this . . .

• While my collection of plastic milk crate and cinder block furniture may or may not qualify, there are definitely some stylish recycled/reused products out there.
• You have no doubt heard the common warning about comparing apples to oranges unless of course you are the average real estate appraiser.
• Sub-Arctic Ice Volcanoes is not just the name of my new indy rock band, it is also the central arguement of yet another attempt to debunk global warming.
• Flip flops - You’ve put your feet in them. Now, put your feet on them.
• While researching that second link I left my apples and oranges out on the counter a little too long. Sure enough, the fruit flies showed up. Fortunately, I now have a solution for those pesky invaders.
• There has been a lot of talk around the office about getting some postgreen bikes. Could this be the answer?

Today marks my first day as an employee of postgreen, and Chad has made an effort to keep me too busy to write this post. Even now he is distracting me with ideas about the 100k House line. Dammit Chad, I’m trying to tell people about all the cool stuff I found on the Internet this week! Jeez.

Try to ignore him and look at this . . .

• Now I dislike a wet newspaper as much as the next guy, but what is one to do with all that pesky plastic protecting our informative black and white from the summer storms. Well, now you can have your unsmeared ink and a gift for the special person in your life.
• Yes these ideas are crazy . . . crazy like a fox . . . if that fox were keen on saving the world from an impending climate disaster.
• George Carlin is dead, but his thoughts on meat leave on. Thanks interweb.
• And my fiancee said those pizza boxes I was saving in the basement wouldn’t be good for anything. Hello pepperoni scented recliner. That’ll teach her to question my absurd hoarding.

A little brief today, but what can I say. I need a post work beverage and a little down time.

Keeping up with the Joneses is a saying that originated in a comic from the early 1900’s, or at least that’s what Wikipedia would have me believe (just confirmed by Toonopedia). The Joneses are the unseen neighbors in the comic and are often referred to with some degree of envy by the strip’s main characters. While those characters and the strip in which they lived faded out of existence, the title remained as a popular saying, a saying which captured the motivation behind much of our consumption-minded culture.

Luxury, size and cost are all purchasing choices designed to help us “keep up with the Joneses.” We are trained to feel that we need a house, car and clothes consummate with the position we have achieved professionally or socially. Unfortunately, for most things, particularly houses, what we need always seems to be bigger and less practical. Prestige measured by the square foot.

Aside from the problems most Americans find themselves in financially after spending a few years chasing the illusive Joneses, the tendency for prosperity to be represented by size also isn’t exactly helping the old planet. We add rooms to houses that are already twice as large as we need. We base buying decisions on square-footage because that is what everyone will ask about at our first party (How many square feet you workin’ with here Bob?). McMansions are multiplying like huge, ungainly, under-insulated rabbits and all this means more energy, more furniture, more . . . everything.

We need to consume less, but as long as the Joneses are out there ahead of us, flaunting all that big stuff, that kind of change is difficult to make. As a culture we are so trained to measure ourselves against those around us that we will use any scale available. The most ready scale, to date, has been size, but perhaps that could change.

If it is going to change it has to change with the Joneses. It has to change with those who everyone is trying to stack up against. If a shift can be made in the thinking of the privileged, adjusting the way in which they broadcast their position, then we might see a change in the way everyone struts their stuff. Horse-power could be replaced with gas mileage. R-values (insulation) could be the new square footage. Solar panels instead of swimming pools, ten speeds instead of hummers, subtractions instead of additions . . . who knows.

According to the New York Times, this shift might be happening in housing. With the advent of modern design and the rising concern over global warming (even among the most impenetrable minds), green houses have become more attractive. Environmentally sound housing is no longer solely the province of patchouli scented hippies. Interesting architecture and the socially conscious appeal of a small carbon footprint open this type of houses to a broader audience with a sense of style to go along with their sense of responsibility.

Conspicuous non-consumption, as the Times article refers to it, may be hard for those used to losing their spouse and children somewhere in their 15,000 square foot castle, but it only takes a few adopters to begin the trickle down (no not Reaganomics style) of change. While there may be plenty of us who have cast off our need to chase the Joneses, the majority are still affected (if only unconsciously) by this race. A change in the measuring stick is key to a societal shift.

So instead of chasing the Joneses, let’s set out to change them. Design for style and efficiency. Make green cool and aim for a new demographic. And, if anyone from the Jones Family is listening, be sure to brag about your tankless water heater, the number of miles you bike and the efficiency of your windows at the next swanky party you attend. I am all for grass roots, but it helps to have a little assistance from the top of the mountain sometimes.

Nic Darling is not a Jones.

Searching for valuables in the flotsam and jetsam that washes ashore can be a tedious and potentially unrewarding task. It is much better to find an experienced beachcomber, follow them at a discreet distance and wait until they discover a treasure amidst the trash. When that happens a little blunt trauma to the back of said beachcomber’s head can make his treasure yours.

Well, consider me your beachcomber but instead of clubbing me with a conch shell, just look at this . . .

• Some people carry important papers in their briefcases, some carry small unmarked bills, but you could be the person transporting pure power in your sporty attache’.
• Alright, technically this isn’t “green” except in the way that it glorifies nature, but if you have ever seen cooler pictures of birds, I demand you explain why you have kept them from me. Well?
• For decades the citizens of Chicago believed their heritage was one of chilly discomfort, but it turns out they were merely overwhelmed with natural resources. One, big, blustery resource.
• The representatives of the South American Defense Council sit around a vast wooden table in the secret command bunker deep in the Amazon Basin. Despite the rules, a visibly shake Argentinean general lights a hand rolled cigarette. Nobody complains. A hopeless silence has decended on the proceedings. Despite days of debate and discussion, no one knows how to counter the devestating invasion of the mighty Chinook Salmon.
• There are good protest ideas and bad protest ideas. There are also activities that enhance ones enjoyment of the human form and ones that don’t. I’ll let you decide where naked biking falls in both those categories. Depending on where you work this might be one to save for the home computer.
• Well, we’ve broken the whole nudity barrier, so we might as well run with it. At least this commercial will probably be all right for work.
• Oh, and for those that may have missed it, look at me take it a bit over the top for the 100k House on the stage at Ignite Philly.