Talking Point

By all indications the impulse to go green is gaining widespread grounds. It is also true that it has to be shored up enough yet and the real steam is lacking till date. Go green is not a mere fad; it is a movement to sustain the next generation.
Interestingly, e-learning as a discipline fits in to the ethos of the green movement quite well. Here are some compelling reasons, why.

How green is our valley: From the UN convened the Earth Summit of June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, to a little over a decade later in 2005, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and then on, the cry for climate protection has come a long way to take the central stage of critical issues in the world today. It is under the active radar of the international community now.

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 1997 and entered into force on February 2005 binds the participating countries with targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These targets amount to an average of 5% against 1990 levels over the five year period 2008 to 2012.

Simultaneously, various world bodies and organisations got involved in addressing the global GHG issues and mitigation of ecological imbalances with serious intent. These led to serious research / work notes on periodic basis and with media dissemination, a significant level up in general awareness on the subject.

The Living Planet Report 2008 tells us that,

• If our demands on the planet continue at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we will need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles.
• The ecological credit crunch is a global challenge – more than three quarters of the world’s people live in nations that are ecological debtors – their national consumption has outstripped their country’s bio capacity.
• The good news is that we have the means to reverse the ecological credit crunch – it is not too late to prevent an irreversible ecological recession setting in.

The recently released New UNEP Project Atmospheric Brown Cloud Report outlines widespread and complex climatic changes due to the combined effects of man-made Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABCs) and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

All these and many more research, point out that green movement is nothing short of mission critical now – stressing the need for striving together for green growth in all fronts of our livelihood, environment, technology, mobility, homes and at workplaces.

Green learning: E-learning is inherently green and the e-learning professionals are in a unique position to reduce the carbon footprint. They fit in the tapestry of green well-being to lead the way as change agents.

• Travel- there are indications to suggest, rising fuel prices are driving a boom in online education enrollment across the US. It is also comforting to know that the shift from bricks to clicks could not only reduce travel costs and traffic congestion but the carbon emissions as well. A course, put online instantly cuts travel the biggest contributor to carbon footprint.The term telecommuting is coined to encourage work/presentation electronically, phone/video/web conferencing to reap sustainable benefits to individuals, society, and the environment in the process.
• IT Facilities- IT, the backbone to the e-learning has its flipside as well. As the industry grows, so does its carbon footprint. The IT manufacturers are doing their bit to provide a sustainable IT ecosystem by being committed to the energy-star standards, new product introduction to meet demanding emissions, ergonomic and environmental guidelines and older system replacements through trade in/up programmes. The IT benefits for e-learning therefore to be harnessed with carbon offsetting measures. For example, optimizing the energy settings for computers and peripheral devices like printers, scanners can be one ready-to-start energy saving move and in embracing eco-friendly product level solutions the next etc.
• Paper & Printing- by using less paper one can save wood, water and energy, cut pollution and solid waste. Online, encourages to digitize and use less paper. Files can be transferred in dematerialized format, stored and seen on-screen without printing.

E-learning is not just about cutting costs; it is more carbon neutral and green than the traditional method of learning.

Green thoughts: The drive to go green is not a window dressing item for the corporate nor a mere fad for the activist community – serious rationale for promoting green investments is there to see for all of us.

Tech firms and business across spectrum realize that operating business environmentally is a requisite today. It is now part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and those who deliver on the expectations gain significant advantage in the eyes of consumers, investors, media & employees.

At the individual level also, greening the space in which one works has almost limitless merits.
In both the cases, it is necessary to know how well the expectations can be met and where and how to make improvements.

Important therefore to first conduct a Green View assessment of the current situation, have a Green Up charter with sensible principles & stimulus and then follow a sustainable Green Path to deliver the expectations on time.

In this respect, e-learning can well be a great enabler to evangelize the process.

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