Sanders and publisher Doubleday decided to give the book another go, and relaunched it on September 16th of this year. I’m glad they did: while the title led me to believe I was going to be reading another “how to” book on greening the workplace (which is not a bad thing), Sanders goes well beyond tips on saving paper and electricity. There are ideas for “greening” a company, but Sanders contextualizes these action steps within an examination of the “triple bottom line,” and a broader “Responsibility Revolution”: “…a broad-based movement of people and companies taking a disruptive approach to making a difference - contributing to our quality of life, locally and globally, for current and future generations.”

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Not long ago, when I finally joined Big Cooperate America after resisting for more than a decade, it didn’t take long to realize I had cloaked myself in an environment that was not ‘green.’

The company, a rather major one, considers itself an environmentally aware corporation. And it is — to an extent.

But only to the extent of its masses, which are still more inclined to consider recycling paper and plastic bottles the cutting edge of the green game.

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A recent survey found that 73% of people believe it is important that their employer be an environmentally and socially responsible company. However, energy saving measures people take in their own home don’t always carry over in to office. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said they turned off lights in unoccupied rooms in their own homes, yet only 52% admitted to following the same practice at work.

The survey was sponsored by Sun Microsystems, whose Vice President of Eco Responsibility, Dave Douglas says:

Businesses don’t cut power consumption — people do. If you’re an employee, these survey results show that you have an enormous opportunity to make a difference for our planet and to help America’s business make better use of their economic resources. If you’re an employer, bridge this gap by communicating about the issue and how everyone can benefit by taking small steps. The good news is that your employees care about the environment, but they may need your help in realizing how much they can actually make a difference.

Some small steps you can take:

• Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms such as kitchens, break rooms, and conference rooms. To help remind others to do the same, create a small sign to post on the door or above the light switch. If there is plenty daylight is coming in, keep the lights off until needed.
• Turn off your computer at the end of the day, and set it to go into energy saving mode (sleep, or hibernation) after a period of inactivity. Unplugging it at the end of the day will also save energy. Likewise, turn off the monitor when you’re away from your desk.
• When printing or photocopying use both sides of the paper. If possible, set the default settings on printers and photocopiers to double-sided.
• If your workplace offers recycling, do your part and recycle.
• Cut back on paper cups and use your own mug for coffee/tea and water.

These are just a few small things, but if you do them every day, and you can get your co-workers to do the same, these little things will add up to have a noticeable impact.

The survey, released on Wednesday, was commissioned by Sun Microsystems, Inc, and conducted by Harris Interactive.

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