Welcome to part four of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way.  Last week we discussed the overuse of paper in the legal profession, and covered some simple ways that you can use digital technology to decrease the amount of paper that we waste on a daily basis.  This week, let us cover another simple solution to a growing problem, gas and travel costs.

One of the biggest contributors to the destruction of our environment has always been the use of gasoline.  It has been an issue debated at every level, and certainly needs greater solutions from the highest levels.  But there are things that we can do every day that will help out on a smaller scale.

As lawyers, there are many things that you have to be in the office to do.  But there are also a lot of things that you can do from home or at another remote location.  Figuring out a schedule that works for you, it may be helpful, and beneficial to the environment if you can work remotely one or two days every week.

Technology allows you to log into your work computer from anywhere, send and receive files from your home computer or smart phone, and keep up with daily tasks from wherever you happen to be.  Staying home will not only help save the environment, it will save you money on travel and electricity costs at the office.

In addition, no matter how tempting it can be to drive yourself to work every day, you can help out by simply taking public transportation or carpooling with friends or colleagues.  Most cities today offer very convenient, and often environmentally friendly, public transportation systems.  Take advantage of the options that you have in your area to become a “greener” attorney.

Past Installments in this Series
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green
Part Two – Cut Electricity Costs, Just Flip the Switch
Part Three – Forget Paper, Go Digital