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copy paper in a year, releasing up to 4.5 tons (or just over four metric tonnes) of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions. It's a startling statistic and one many Canadian firms are reviewing in light of their newly minted green poli- cies, which have instituted new guidelines for printing. Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, for example, is limiting the printing of pre-bills and publication of orders, instead mak- ing copies available in the library. BLG is making two-sided printing the default and is urging its people to put two pages to a sheet when printing draft documents for review, and many firms are now looking at buying recycled paper to feed their printers. At BLG, lawyers, being as they are a naturally competitive group, also struck on the idea of a contest to see which group of printer users could reduce its consumption of paper the most. "But instead of giving away hats or t-shirts, which will only end up in landfill, we're going to give [public transit] passes, things like that," says Cowling. Taken together, they're all small steps but giant leaps forward in terms of how firms are thinking about the issue and what they can do about it. So for firms big and small, here's a list of the 10 best (and quite easy) green practices for law firms: more, but firms are doing it: McMillan LLP, for example, has signed with Bullfrog Power to use only 100-per-cent green elec- tricity for its power needs at its Toronto client services centre. of employees said telecommuting actually made them more likely to remain a Telus employee. Based on employee sugges- tions, Gowlings is offering transit tokens as an alternative to taxi chits. 1 2 and servers use less energy, create less heat, and reduce cool- ing costs. They also take up less space and — listen closely — they're quieter. 3 4 TO RECYCLE OR NOT TO RECYCLE: Stuffing blue boxes with paper, cans, and plastic is great, but some- times the old fashioned way is better. Gowlings is cut- ting out plastic water bottles and has given everyone a lunch bag with a reusable set of cutlery, while Borden Lad- ner Gervais set up green bins and discovered that, since most POWER IT DOWN: Those constantly running com- puters, servers, and printers not only draw power but generate heat, which in turn draws more power to run the HVAC. Low-power desktop computers, laptops, PARK IT: Encourage staff to opt out of the rush hour a day or two a week and work from home, if possible. They'll appreciate the serenity and it will cut emis- sions. Telus Communications Inc. found 82 per cent SWITCH IT: Buy power from a sustainable source like Bullfrog Power (www.bullfrogpower.com), which in turn buys contracts from energy companies that har- ness wind or other renewable sources. It costs a little people were already separating wet garbage at home, it was a natural transition. videoconferencing the "killer application for the practice of law. "Lawyers more than anyone love to talk with their hands. They can't do that on the phone." net. You'll find a carbon calculator there and at www.carbon zerocanada.com/aboutcu.php that will help figure how much carbon your business activities generate. are in talks with their building managers to reduce energy costs associated with lighting through the replacement of fluorescent tubes and the installation of sensors that automatically turn lights off if no one is in the area. 5 6 7 8 cut down air pollution. 9 10 CUT THE PAPER TRAIL: Still printing out e- mails? Storing them digitally on the server is cheaper and less wasteful. Aside from the paper, think of the physical storage space for all those boxes. Have faxes delivered to the desktop, scan receipts as PDFs, and switch to a digital invoicing system. Ask clients and suppliers if they would like to receive or send invoices electron- ically to cut down paper. And finally, look at the type of paper you're using. Xerox recently launched High Yield Business Pa- per, which is made in Canada with less water and fewer chemi- cals, cutting greenhouse emissions by 75 per cent. And, because it's lighter, it costs less to ship or mail. www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com SEPTEMBER 2008 51 KEEP IT NATURAL: McInnes Cooper in Halifax rede- signed its offices to maximize natural light, while Ol- gilvy Renault is doing the same with its new Montreal offices. Gowlings is putting potted plants in cubicles to KEEP COOL: Business dress used to be a three-piece suit and tie, but few people see it as the norm these days. Many companies institute a casual-clothes summer pol- icy, which allows employees a more relaxed dress code. Cooler employees means the air conditioning doesn't have to be cranked to high, and it also makes their commute a little more tolerable on those blistering summer days. SEE THE LIGHT: While law firms don't just pick up and move to energy-efficient offices on a whim, there are many things that can be done with the existing build- ing. Both Ogilvy Renault and Borden Ladner Gervais OFFSET YOUR CARBON: If you simply have no choice but to fly or drive for business, then offset your car- bon emission by buying credits. Air Canada offers the credits through a partnership with www.zerofootprint. VIDEOCONFERENCE IT: It's the next best thing to be- ing there — maybe better. Videoconferencing avoids having to fly across the country or around the world for a 20-minute meeting. One Toronto law firm calls