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Telecommuting

Telecommuting


As defined in Webster's New World Dictionary, Third Edition,
telecommuting is "an electronic mode of doing work outside the office that
traditionally has been done in the office, as by computer terminal in the
employee's home." Basically, it is working at home utilizing current technology,
such as computers, modems, and fax machines. Traditionally, people have
commuted by cars, buses, trains, and subways, to work and back. Through the
innovation of telecommuting, , the actual necessity to change location in order
to accomplish this task has been challenged on the basis of concerns for energy
conservation, loss of productivity, and other issues.
One advantage of telecommuting is energy conservation. A tremendous
amount of energy is required to produce transportation equipment such as
automobiles, buses trains, and subways. If telecommuting is promoted, there
will be less use of this equipment and less energy will be required for
production, maintenance, and repair of this equipment. Fuel resources needed to
operate this equipment will be reduced. The building and repair of highways and
maintenance requires a large consumption of energy, not only in the operation of
the highway construction and repair equipment, but also in the manufacture and
transportation of the required materials. An increase in the percentage of
people telecommuting to work will decrease the need for expanded highways and
associated road maintenance. The first two areas related to getting to work.
Once a person arrives at a central office working location, he or she represents
another energy consumer, often times magnified many times over what would be
required at home. The office building has heating, cooling, and lighting needs,
and the materials to build it and maintain it require energy in their production
and transportation. Working from home requires only modest incremental demands
on energy for heating, cooling, and lighting needs, and makes effective use...