Have you ever been in a restaurant that was kept too cold? Or how about that store downtown that keeps the air conditioning on and the front door open? There are thousands of examples of wasteful mismanagement of energy happening all the time, day in and day out. When you observe one of these what do you do currently? Click your tongue and roll your eyes? Complain to the friends you are with? Plan out how you would do it better?

Well that’s the entire point. These daily examples of waste are all things which should be corrected and done better. And there’s no better or more immediate way to lend your voice to the solution than to ask to speak to a manager. Make your observations known to someone in a position of authority to change them. And if the problem is not corrected right away, make the same observation to management on your next visit to the business. If you want to raise the ante, you can even say that you are making it a matter of whether or not you will patronize the business.

Then there are the mismanagements that occur at our work places. These may feel more onerous to point out to management. There is a tyranny of silence in many workplaces that keep us from voicing our ideas for improvement. But since most energy saving ideas will create net savings for the business (most but not all, since some will be too costly to implement) you may find your ideas warmly received. Indeed, how many offices are kept so cold that the workers need to wear sweaters.

So raise your voice and talk to a manager to help reduce the impact of global warming in the commercial zone and workplace.