Consider the typical business office.
It's packed with computers, copiers, faxes and a coffee machine or two. Its workers toil under artificial light and breathe conditioned air.
All of those things contribute to global warming. They consume electricity, and most of it comes from power plants burning fossil fuels. You may not think your job involves pumping greenhouse gases into the air, but for most people, it does.
And it adds up. Nonindustrial businesses produce about 12.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases per year in California, according to one recent state report. That's about the same amount produced by 2.6 million cars, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But businesses and their employees are not helpless.
They can take many steps to fight climate change, mostly by using energy more efficiently. Some steps are complex and require significant planning, but many are remarkably simple and quick.
"Businesses should look at their energy use and see if they're being smart about it," said Brian Castelli, chief operating officer of the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy, which promotes energy efficiency. "They can do a lot."
The steps a business takes will be determined, in part, by whether it owns or leases its work space. If it owns your store or office building, it has more options and potentially greater greenhouse-gas savings.
But even those leasing space have choices.
Choosing compact fluorescent bulbs instead of their incandescent forebears is just as easy in a shop or office as it is at home. But businesses also can reorganize their work spaces to make the best use of natural light. Keep desks near windows, for example, and don't let high cubicle walls block the light. Install motion sensors to automatically shut off lights when everyone leaves the room.
Another big opportunity for savings: office equipment. The federal Energy Star program certifies computers, copiers, scanners and even watercoolers that use power efficiently. The program's Web site, www.energystar.gov, will list certified equipment in any category.
"That stamp of approval is available now on just about every kind of office appliance," said Wendy Pulling, director of environmental policy at Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Employees can help by turning off their computers and other office equipment at night, not just logging off. They should shut off the power strips and surge protectors as well, as most plugged-in devices continue using electricity even after being switched off.
Finally, businesses that own cars -- either a few or a whole fleet -- can buy fuel-saving hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius. Those that need trucks can use biodiesel for fuel. Although engines burning biodiesel still produce carbon dioxide, the fuel is made from plants that soak up some of that gas from the atmosphere. And biodiesel costs don't swing up and down with the price of crude oil.
Businesses that own their work space can take all the same steps, of course.
But they can also go much further. They can use insulating windowpanes or apply thermal film to the windows. They can examine their building's heating and cooling ducts to look for leaks. Depending on the building, they can even install solar panels, which supply power without generating greenhouse gas.
Businesses don't have to figure out all these things on their own.
PG&E for example, offers free energy audits, which look at a shop or office's total energy use and suggest steps to cut it.
The auditor can also recommend government rebates for business owners who buy more efficient equipment or go solar. For example, incentives from California and the federal government, combined, can cover up to half the cost of installing solar panels on a commercial building, according to the California Energy Commission.
The green office
All shops and offices produce greenhouse gas because they use electricity from fossil-fuel power plants. But they can cut both the power they use and the global-warming emissions involved. Here are some suggestions:
Replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescent b