Tips for Environmentally Friendly GTD

Bloggers Unite - Blog Action Day

As many of you probably already know, today is Blog Action Day! Today, we’re charged with discussing the environment…

I have a confession to make - I’m not what you’d call “environmentally conscious”. I don’t recycle. I drive an old, gas-guzzling car. I go through index cards like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t go out of my way to save water or electricity (though, I don’t think I’m particularly gluttonous with these things). So, of all the ways one could describe me and how I live, “green” wouldn’t be accurate.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t small things people like me can do. One wouldn’t need to think very hard to come up with ways that their everyday life could be adjusted to be friendlier to Mother Earth, even the GTD folk. Here are a few little brainstorms I came up with for more environmentally-friendly GTD:

  • Use recycled paper products - Unless you use some super-esoteric paper size/shape for your notebooks or whatever, there’s probably a recycled alternative right next to the ones you usually buy.
  • Use digital tools instead of paper - Granted, this only works if you can do the digital thing as effectively as the paper thing. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how many trees are killed by using 30boxes or Backpack (answer: none).
  • Use all of the sheet of paper - This is one I’m particularly guilty of; Grabbing a sheet of paper or an index card, scrawling 3-5 words on it, then throwing it away once it’s been added to my trusted system. I could just as easily tear of the used portion and make sure to keep the unused for later, or just start with smaller pieces of paper.

Nothing earth-shattering here, but today’s topic has gotten my gears turning about this environmental stuff. I’m not sure if this new awareness will bring about any substantial change in the way I live and do things, but it’s given me pause, if nothing else.

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October 15, 2007 | Filed Under Blog Action Day, GTD 

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12 Responses to “Tips for Environmentally Friendly GTD”

  1. Kristina Richardson on October 15th, 2007

    Everyone can make a difference! If you are passionate about stopping global warming and the environment you should check out this website http://www.nvisioncfl.com . Changing to CFLs is a great way for individual people to really make a difference! You should also check out this site http://www.youtube.com/user/helpourworld for more ideas on how to help our world!

  2. Claudia on October 15th, 2007

    My ultimate planner goal is to use laminated forms after I create a system that works for me. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a superfine wet erase marker and I’m lazy about transferring information into Outlook or scanning forms :I

  3. Who and What They Said on Blog Action Day | Blog Gigs on October 15th, 2007

    [...] The Cranking Widgets Blog - I have a confession to make - I’m not what you’d call “environmentally conscious”. I don’t recycle. [...]

  4. Jeroen Lokerse on October 16th, 2007

    Are you sure about the number of trees it costs to use the sites backpack and 30boxes ?

    I don’t want to be snotty about it but computer don’t run on water (or at least not yet).

    I know most of us have a computer running most of the time, but you’re remark leaves too many factors out of the equation .

  5. Eric Monse on October 16th, 2007

    Sometimes recycling isn’t energy efficient, it’s so hard to tell these days.

  6. Ta2yerface on October 16th, 2007

    I’m sorry Jeroen, but that was the lamest crap I’ve ever heard. Lets hear some of those factors. The idea is to use a computer instead of paper. Thanks for typing your pessemistic approach for us all to enjoy.

  7. gufmn on October 16th, 2007

    Speaking of global warming…Newsweek ran an interesting article back in 1975 that’s definitely worth a read:

    click to read

  8. Blog Action Day Revisited - lifehack.org on October 19th, 2007

    [...] Widgets’ Tips For Environmentally Friendly GTD are using either recycled paper, digital tools instead of paper, or at least using the entire sheet [...]

  9. Random Links 07: Blog Action Day 2007 » Advice on organized and productive living through lifehacks and GTD » Organize IT on October 25th, 2007

    [...] Cranking Widgets: Tips For Environmentally Friendly GTD [...]

  10. ThemePassion - Best stuff about design! » Tips for Environmentally Friendly GTD on October 29th, 2007

    [...] Michael Martinez wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerptBloggers Unite - Blog Action Day. As many of you probably already know, today is Blog Action Day! Today, we’re charged with discussing the environment… I have a confession to make - I’m not what you’d call “environmentally conscious”. … [...]

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    [...] Tips for Environmentally Friendly GTD: Use this list how you can go green with your GTD system but using recycled paper, using both sides [...]

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