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Go green to help get out of the red

In this economic climate, every dollar saved counts. So, why not save some money and help save the planet all at once? That, my friends, is efficiency and multitasking!

To help you conserve money and energy, the Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out a free, electronic toolkit to train your easy, energy-saving practices that fight global warming. Now, I know that some folks are wary of climate change projections, and many more are wary of anything coming from the government.

But, you don’t have to be a card-carrying Greenpeace member to concede that reducing energy use saves money — money that can be spent on increasing/restoring salaries, purchasing equipment or furthering company goals by funding rewards or employee training programs. 

Each year in the United States, work and office buildings use $200 billion on electricity and natural gas.  It’s estimated that by taking just the simplest energy-reducing steps, we could save up to 30% on energy use.

I wasn’t a math major, but that seems to add up to a decent savings that I’m betting your company could use right now.

So, ready to hear more about the toolkit? It includes: 
• A brown bag presentation that HR pros can use to educate employees about reducing energy use.

• A customizable e-mail template to invite employees to the brown bag presentation.
• Energy-saving checklists.
• Information on how to develop an office “Green” Team.
• Free posters, with placeholders for company logos, on energy saving tips.

Download the toolkit here. What do you think of this initiative? Can energy conservation make a meaningful difference in your company’s bottom line? Share your strategies for saving energy and money through conservation in the comments.

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