2005
Tommy Linstroth

Footprints in the Sand, Q2c 2005 Living in Savannah, Georgia provides ample opportunity for getting to the beach. If you manage to get there early enough, before the pressing crowds come to bask in the sun and float in the Atlantic, you can stroll the beach in relative solitude. You may notice there are other footprints wandering in the sand ahead of you. Some are larger, some are smaller. Each footprint is unique and different from your own. A child’s footprint is smaller, lighter and makes less of an impact on the sand, whereas an adult’s is larger, and makes a much more noticeable mark in the sand. The same theory holds true when you analyze your impact on the environment by using a tool called an “environmental footprint.” Your environmental footprint looks to see how large of an impact you are creating on the environment – small and light like a child in the sand, or heavy and lasting like a large adult’s beach footprint. As Melaver, Inc continues to become a more sustainable company, we took a hard look at our environmental footprint. It was an eye-opening experience. While Melaver, Inc does not manufacture products and thus emit chemicals or pollutants associated with factories, we found our footprint was still more of an adult’s than a child’s. Our largest impact came from electricity use in the office, which is responsible for all sorts of environmental contaminants, from carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide which contribute to global warming and smog, but also particulate matter and mercury which lead to asthma and neurological damage. However, we realized that we use electricity and that there were impacts associated with that use. What surprised us is that our daily commute was responsible for almost a third of our environmental impact. Savannah is a small city, and it is relatively quick and easy to get around. That our daily commuting created a larger impact than all business travel combined (ground and air) was an eye opener. It does make sense though. And it is something we all have the ability to take control of to reduce that impact. When you commute 10 miles to work, round trip is 20. Five days a week is 100. Fifty weeks a year is 5000 miles driven, just to get to work. Melaver, Inc’s employees have already taken action into their own hands. Carpools began earlier this year. We’re taking long hard looks at the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. We are looking for transportation alternatives. We all have an impact on the environment, be it an adult’s or a child’s. The key is to work to reduce the size of that footprint. Someday I hope to walk down the beach, turn around, and see nothing in the sand behind me. Want to know your impact? There are many tools to help you determine your environmental footprint available on the internet. One is www.myfootprint.org. Tommy Linstroth Sustainability Associate