I have mentioned repeating myself and so sorry but here goes again – sort of. I wrote a couple of environmental posts stating they were for young Greta Thunberg, and in my specific post, ‘Greta Thunberg – Just for You,’ I touched on the topic that I am highlighting as the main subject of this post. I am sure she has not read a word of what I have printed. However, I wish she (and Gary Neville – My Story 5) would do, and contact me just so I know how they feel about the things I have written where they are concerned, I suppose I am a bit nosey like that, but then I guess I would like to hear from other people as well.
Anyway, I would like Greta to read this post too, because as an activist and if she did feel the same and she was to preach to the millions on this matter, then some people might take notice. On this occasion, I am not too concerned about Gary Neville reading it, but then I suppose he is a well-known footballing pundit and if he were also were to mention it somewhere along the line he could maybe get this message across to people as well – on the assumption he agrees with me of course!
However, on this occasion, yes I want to get this out to Greta to promote the concept, however possibly, and more importantly, I would like Boris Johnson and his Government to have a little think about this subject, as no disrespect to Greta or Gary, I believe Boris just might be in a position to do a little bit more about it, or indeed have a bit more influence!
But has anyone else noticed how many countries and cities are reporting cleaner air during this horrible pandemic, and I quote from one internet search:
‘Air pollution levels in the UK have dropped significantly in the two weeks since the country went into lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. Some cities have seen nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels fall by up to 60% on the same period last year, analysis shows. NO2, released from car exhausts, is a serious air pollutant and also indirectly contributes to the warming of the planet.’
60% – now a contributing factor to that will be because factories and workplaces have had to close. So people cannot travel to work and thus less cars on the road, and so creating fewer omissions and gases, and so helping to reduce the problems we have on this subject and global warming, however small.
However, how much of this is down to the people who are not travelling to work because they can work from home during this pandemic. And if they can do it because of a pandemic, why can’t they do it more often in a pandemic free society?
I feel very strongly about this and the positive effect it can have on our environment and our society that I am pretty much begging and imploring that the Government take this matter up with some priority and seriousness. Let’s look to see what they can do to encourage companies to get their employee’s to work from home whenever possible when this is all over. And I will admit unashamedly that I will put a post out on twitter asking some well-known TV personalities to read this to see if they can help!
The Government has already gone over figures at one of their daily press conferences showing the reduced number of people using trains for travel through certain busy railway stations during the Corona Virus lockdown period. It wasn’t just a few thousand, or even a few hundred thousand; It was millions.
Again the same will apply to the car travel emissions example above, there will be a lot who have simply stopped using the trains because they can’t go to work, but how many people are not using the trains because they are working from home. I’m guessing the numbers are again in the millions?
I appreciate people get a buzz from going to work, one guy who commutes from our local station is on his phone at seven o’clock in the morning. It’s normally work-related, as half the people on the station can hear him as he speaks in his high volume tone into his phone while drawing on his e-cigarette on a ‘no vaping’ station.
I’m not saying that these people must stay at home every day, but surely with the number of people working from home during this situation, this could continue in some form or another. How about a week about, one week working at their place of work, one week at home. Every other day, or a week, every other month, a five-day fortnight. There are many ways, many shift patterns and many positives for people doing this. But before I continue and for those who haven’t read it the exact wording of my previous post was:
‘So I ask why oh why can’t we do more work from home, or more meetings by conference calling instead of travelling? Ironic that during this pandemic, cities are reporting that their air is cleaner due to the reduced traffic on the roads, maybe it is time for a radical re-think with regards to our working habits. This needs to come from the top, but the top doesn’t need to be No10, the top can come from the CEO, MD or Business Owners of some of the companies that insist on these face to face meetings.’
Pre-pandemic I watched a news article about the effects traffic emissions were having on the health of young children who are living beside a main road, and that it was poorer than those who didn’t. So surely if we can reduce the traffic on main roads, then we can only benefit those children in question. But being realistic, if it affects children living beside a main road, it must surely affect adults too. So fewer cars can only be a win-win situation?
And as well as those living by main roads benefiting with reduced traffic, what about the advantages for the employee? Well, I suppose it all depends on the job they do, but let’s start with that journey to work? How much stressful time is spent on busy roads and crammed trains, how often are they late due to traffic congestion or related issues, or because of late or cancelled trains, or even missed trains due to them being too full (my wife has experienced this problem).
If a lot of these people drive to work, which they will, how about the reduced effects on the environment, and how about the unnecessary fuel and vehicle costs, even and occasional puncture or breakdown, wear and tear on the roads, more importantly, those reduced emissions, gases and effects on global warming etc. etc. And I think you will get the picture.
With a reduction in every other form of travelling to work, whether it be cars and taxis, trains or buses there can only be a positive effect on our environment, society and country and on the people themselves, less travelling, fewer costs, less stress and a better work/life balance, something I can personally relate to but that is predominantly because I only work a four day week, and the most important thing in my working life.
Another take is money saved, and this is a two-way thing. From the employer’s point of view they may be able to work in smaller premises, therefore saving some rent and rates and saving a little on utility bills and possibly more (I’m not a businessman looking into these savings so that I wouldn’t know)! There are probably others like less outlay on equipment and other smaller aspects of business savings.
And so what about the employee? Well maybe there could be savings on child care, perhaps they wouldn’t need pre or post-school care for children if they were able to work with their children in the house, maybe they could agree with their employer (perhaps the employer need not know if it doesn’t affect their work). Let’s face it if you are working from home with a specific workload to complete, and it doesn’t get done, any employer worth their salt will know about it. You will rarely get away with working from home and not actually doing the work.
As well as childcare there are the obvious savings on travel costs involved, for instance, if I could personally work from home, we could sell one car and bank the money, or my wife might decide on a house makeover who knows? And how about that time spent travelling, what is that worth to us? How many would rather wake up at eight o’clock and start work at nine, rather than get up at seven, leave the house at eight, have a stressful hour travelling and start work at nine? I am sure there is quite a few that would prefer the first option.
Either way, I think this is something that we as a nation and hopefully our Government, and responsible company bosses need to have a serious look, and this needs to be driven from the top. But those at the top vary from Boris in No10 to the owner of a business that may employ five or ten people and they all need to look at making radical changes when our lives return to normal – but now is the time to do it! As mentioned in my previous post, even TV channels could continue to change as they are doing now, interviewing people by video conferencing rather than having them travel to studios unnecessarily.
And the best example I can give you of this is the Prime Ministers very own daily press conference relating to the pandemic, which started with a gathering of people all travelling to its location and gathering around the Government speakers of the day and now conducted with three ministers and a television, all done by that video link as mentioned.
And as a viewer, every bit as effective I can assure you. We are not too bothered about the layout or the people present, but the answers to the questions themselves, and we are getting just that without all the unnecessary travelling, wear and tear, congestion, fumes, and emissions. I think you can get the gist of things!
Even my favourite Radio 2 show, Steve Wright in the afternoon, is being done with his team members, who I believe is predominantly Bobbie Pryor and Tim Smith in completely different locations, assuming their homes. As a listener, you would never know they were in separate studios so why can’t it be done like this more often? Okay, it’s only a couple more people off the road and not travelling, but every little bit helps, and if more people followed suit, then who knows how we would benefit from the changes!
Steve Wright