With the central role played by technology in the modern workplace, greening your IT operations is a fundamental part of improving office efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Take this quick quiz excerpted from the Wall Street Journal to test your awareness of green IT issues:

1) Which of these roles for information and communications technology has the potential to yield the biggest reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030?

A. Retrofitting existing buildings
B. Designing new buildings for reduced emissions
C. Telecommuting and virtual meetings
D. E-commerce and replacing paper

Answer: D. According to a study by the World Wildlife Fund, a big increase in online shopping and in the use of electronic transactions and documents to replace paper bills and publications could eliminate nearly a billion tons of greenhouse gases a year from the environment. That’s about twice the reduction estimated to result from either making existing buildings more efficient or designing new buildings that constantly monitor and adjust air conditioning and heating to minimize waste. More telecommuting and virtual meetings would save about 160 million tons of emissions a year, it estimated.

9) What percentage of corporate PC users leave their computers on nights and weekends when they aren’t in use?

A. About half
B. Hardly anyone
C. About 25%
D. Almost everyone

Answer: A. According to the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy, less than half of corporate PC users shut their computers down overnight, even though they aren’t using them. Turning them off would save an estimated 20 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions a year—roughly equivalent to the impact of four million cars.

10) What makes Windows 7 greener than Vista and other older Windows operating systems?

A. Microsoft prints the product manual on recycled paper.
B. It won’t run on high-energy microprocessors.
C. It reduces processor activity while the computer is idle.
D. It adjusts for intermittent power from wind turbines and solar panels.

Answer: C. It reduces background activity by electronically checking all connected devices at once and then going to sleep, rather than checking them at random times, which requires a central processor to be in operation almost constantly. It also reduces power consumption in other ways: It can be configured to stop searching for a network connection when a network cable isn’t plugged in. It suspends Bluetooth radio connectivity when it senses the Bluetooth device is in low-power mode. And it dims displays after shorter periods of inactivity than previous models.

How well did you know these green IT facts? Green Irene’s Ask Green Irene database can provide you with much more information about energy conservation in your IT operations, which can translate into cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions for your business. A 3-month membership to Ask Green Irene is included in the Green Office Makeover service offered by Green Irene.

Energy has become one of our biggest challenges because of our dependence on foreign sources and the environmental consequences existing sources have. Our dependence on foreign oil means that we have to send dollars abroad that could instead stay domestically to create jobs and fuel growth. Our use of fossil fuels as our main source of energy is causing the planet to warm rapidly as a result of a growing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Clearly, energy is a big issue, and the first thing we need to do is learn how to avoid having to use energy without giving up quality of life (conservation). So here are five reasons why you should conserve energy.

1) Save Money. The best reason why you should conserve energy is because it will save you money. This is money that you can instead spend on paying for green products or purchasing clean energy. When your office conserves energy, it saves money on its energy bill. In general, energy efficiency upgrades can be paid back relatively quickly, so these are smart investments to make. Conserving energy by changing behaviors can have no monetary costs while accruing big savings.

2) Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. As mentioned already, fossil fuels unfortunately release carbon dioxide when burned. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas causing the planet to warm rapidly, and so this requires us to dramatically reduce its emissions. When your office conserves energy, it reduces the burning of fossil fuels and therefore cuts on carbon dioxide emissions, helping slow down global warming.

3) Reduce Air Pollution. In the same way that carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels, air pollution is a result of fossil fuel combustion. For example, the burning of coal releases sulfur dioxide and soot, pollutants that lead to acid rain and respiratory illnesses. Gasoline combustion releases nitrogen compounds that, when hot enough, lead to ozone formation and smog. Air pollution is responsible for thousands of deaths annually, so it is in our interest to reduce air pollution by conserving energy at work and on the road.

4) Reduce Mercury Pollution. Our heavy reliance on coal means that we also emit a lot of mercury, which is found in significant amounts in coal. When coal is burned to produce electricity, mercury is released into the atmosphere and quickly deposits into water bodies and soils, eventually making it to fish populations. When they reach fish, mercury is already in the form of methylmercury, a toxic form that is a known carcinogen. Conserving energy, as a result, would directly impact our health as we would be less exposed to mercury in the food we eat and in the environment.

5) Save Water. Finally, you may not have thought of this. Just like when you reduce water use you save energy because that water does not have to be heated nor treated at the wastewater treatment plant, when you reduce energy use you also help save water. This is because power plants, particularly those that are fired by fossil fuels, require copious amounts of water in order to keep them cool. In fact, power plants represent the second largest consumer of water in the country, gobbling up 39% of all water withdrawals. Moreover, since the water is used to cool power plants, the end product is thermal water, which is much warmer than normal and affects local aquatic ecosystems.

There are very good reasons why we should be conserving energy other than the typical worries given out. Interested in learning all you can do to conserve energy? Sign up for a Green Office Makeover today. Look up your local Eco-Consultant and get on the path of conserving energy.