OK, so I'm fortunate to work at WebEx/Cisco and to use a green product to do my job every day.  It makes me feel good that WebEx and Cisco have positive environmental values and try to practice what they preach.  After all, the internet allows us to work in new ways that really can be an improvement for our planet. 

I am also an elitest in my own way.  I love my Montblanc pen and pencil which I bought years ago on a business trip to Europe.  Yesterday, I stopped by my local Montblanc retail store to pick up some pen and pencil supplies.  After I had paid, the very nice gentlemen behind the counter put my supplies in a very nice bag and then proceeded to neatly fold my receipt and put it in an classy and elegant little envelope- for what purpose - clearly to impress me and make me feel special that I was shopping at such an upscale store that they placed their invoices in little envelopes.  I asked him to save the little envelope for someone else, I really did not 'need' it, how about saving that tree, thanked him and walked out.

So, am I making too much of something very small?  I don't think so.  I think that each of us needs to speak up because each of these very little things, when added all together, can significantly contribute to our current planetary condition. 

I recently went to the Office 2.0 conference and the entire thing was online (see my Sept 10th blog).  I have found myself thinking about it more and more.  It was really very cool NOT to be handed a single piece of paper over the 2.5 days.  I did not have anything to throw away when I got home or in the hotel room.  They even re-cycled the badges (if you were willing) for the following year. 

Surely Montblanc and all the other stores that go that extra mile to make you feel special, important, etc, could rethink it.  And re-thinking could simply be 'Would you like an envelope for your receipt?"  Most of us surely would say 'no thank you' - wouldn't we?  What do you think?