 Oct. 7, 2008 - The U.S. Postal Service is asking employees to turn down thermostats and shut off lights and unused equipment in a bid to cut energy use 30% by 2015.
The launch of the year-long campaign to encourage personal responsibility for conserving energy is all part of the development of the postal service’s national energy management plan, which the U.S.P.S says, will identify goals for energy reduction for facility energy management, fleet management, fuel use and energy consumption.
The post master general, John Potter, believes that the collective action of its 685,000 employees, nation-wide can have a significant impact in meeting its goal. "We need to take whatever steps we can to meet the needs of the present without compromising the future," he says. "Today is another step toward a culture of conservation here at the Postal Service."
The U.S.P.S. is undergoing energy audits in 500 of its largest facilities which represent 60% of the entire postal service’s energy consumption. A pilot of a Utility Management System, analyzing cost data for electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil consumption in 600 sites, is another initiative currently underway.
The postal service’s British counterpart, the Royal Mail, is additionally looking to its corporate customers to help reduce environmental impact. The service is shelling out discounts to wholesale customers who use responsibly sourced materials and encourage mail recipients to recycle. |
