Dear EarthTalk: What are the climate benefits of switching over to a four-day workweek?
-- P. Proby, Denver
kAm}62C=J a__ 4@>A2?:6D 24C@DD E96 8=@36 92G6 4@>A=6E65 D:I\>@?E9 EC:2=D @7 2 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< H:E9 AC@>:D:?8 C6DF=ED] yF=:6E $49@C[ 2? 64@?@>:DE 2?5 D@4:@=@8:DE 2E q@DE@? r@==686[ :D =625:?8 E96 EC:2=D H:E9 E96 ?@?AC@7:E 8C@FA u@FC s2J (66< v=@32=] $49@C D2JD[ �$EC6DD[ 3FC?@FE[ >6?E2= 962=E9[ A9JD:42= 962=E9 � ;@3 D2E:D724E:@? � 2== @7 E9@D6 2C6 8@:?8 :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?D]� (9:=6 E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< D66>D E@ :>AC@G6 6>A=@J66 =:G6D[ E96 C6DF=ED @7 E96 EC:2= 2=D@ DF886DE E92E E96 D9@CE6C H@C<H66< 92D 4=:>2E6 36?67:ED 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm%96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< 36?67:ED E96 6?G:C@?>6?E 3J =6DD6?:?8 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E2= :>A24ED @7 4@>>FE:?8[ C65F4:?8 6?6C8J 4@?DF>AE:@? 2?5 4FEE:?8 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D] x? a_a`[ E96 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? D64E@C H2D E96 =625:?8 4@?EC:3FE@C @7 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D :? E96 &]$][ 244@F?E:?8 7@C 2C@F?5 agT @7 E@E2= 6>:DD:@?D ?2E:@?H:56] qJ 4@>>:EE:?8 E@ 2 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< 6G6CJ 6>A=@J66 4@F=5 C65F46 E96:C 4@>>FE6 3J a_T] uFCE96C>@C6[ 5FC:?8 2 D:I\>@?E9 EC:2=D[ H@C<6CD DA6?E =6DD E:>6 4@>>FE:?8 3J 42C 2?5 >@C6 E:>6 3:<:?8 2?5 H2=<:?8]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C >2;@C 4@?EC:3FE@C E@ 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D :D =:89E:?8[ 962E:?8[ 4@@=:?8 2?5 86?6C2==J A@H6C:?8 FA @77:46 3F:=5:?8D] %96 &]$] t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4J Wt!pX 6DE:>2E6D E92E 4@>>6C4:2= 2?5 C6D:56?E:2= 3F:=5:?8D 244@F?E 7@C ?62C=J `bT @7 E@E2= 8C66?9@FD6 82D 6>:DD:@?D :? E96 &]$] z66A:?8 @77:46D 4=@D65 W@C A2CE:2==J A@H6C65 5@H?X 7@C 2? 6IEC2 52J A6C H66< 4@F=5 J:6=5 D:8?:7:42?E 6>:DD:@?D C65F4E:@?D] $49@C 7@F?5 E92E ;FDE 2 `_T C65F4E:@? :? H@C< 9@FCD :D =:?<65 E@ 2 g]e A6C46?E 72== :? 42C3@? 7@@EAC:?E]Â k^Am
kAmp=@?8 H:E9 4=:>2E6 36?67:ED[ E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< AC@G:56D 6>A=@J66D H:E9 E96:C @H? A6C<D] sFC:?8 2 a_aa EC:2= :? E96 &]z][ @7 f_ 7:C>D[ de D2:5 E96J A=2??65 E@ <66A 2 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< :? A=246 27E6C E96 EC:2= 6?565] %96 >@DE 4@>>@?=J 4:E65 36?67:ED @7 E96 EC:2= H6C6 :?4C62D65 AC@5F4E:G:EJ 2?5 D:8?:7:42?E 7:?2?4:2= D2G:?8D 7@C 6>A=@J66D] t>A=@J66D D2G65 >@?6J @? 3@E9 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 49:=542C6 5FC:?8 E96 EC:2=] %96 &z EC:2= 2=D@ 7@F?5 E92E 5FC:?8 E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< 52:=J AC@5F4E:@? C@D6 3J aaT] %9:D DE2E:DE:4 6I6>A=:7:6D E96 >2:? 8@2= @7 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< \\ H9:49 :D E96 :562 @7 :>AC@G:?8 677:4:6?4J 3J 2G@:5:?8 @G6CH@C<:?8 6>A=@J66D] #6E9:?<:?8 E96 4F=EFC6 2C@F?5 H@C< 2?5 E96 56D:C6 E@ 4@?DE2?E=J AC@5F46 4@F=5 ?@E @?=J 36?67:E 6>A=@J66D[ 3FE 4@F=5 J:6=5 C65F4E:@?D :? 42C3@? A@==FE:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 :562 @7 E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< D@F?5D 8C62E[ 3FE :D :E C62==J G:23=6n %96 724E :D[ >@DE 4@>A2?:6D 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ :>A=6>6?E E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< H:E9@FE D66:?8 2 564=:?6 :? AC@5F4E:G:EJ] p 42D6 DEF5J :? }6H +62=2?5 7@4FD65 @? !6CA6EF2= vF2C5:2?[ 2? 6DE2E6 >2?286>6?E 4@>A2?J E92E DE2CE65 FD:?8 E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< :? a_`g] %96 C6DF=ED H6C6 36J@?5 6IA64E2E:@?D] t>A=@J66D >2:?E2:?65 E96:C H@C< @FEAFE 3J 6=:>:?2E:?8 F?AC@5F4E:G:EJ 5FC:?8 H@C< 9@FCD 2?5 H@C<:?8 >@C6 677:4:6?E=J] p55:E:@?2==J[ 2== ac_ 6>A=@J66D 6IA6C:6?465 2 acT :>AC@G6>6?E :? H@C<\=:76 32=2?4:?8[ H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 E96:C 9:89 AC@5F4E:G:EJ =6G6=D] %96 6>A=@J66 A6C<D[ 4@>3:?65 H:E9 E96 4=:>2E6 36?67:ED[ >2<6 E96 7@FC\52J H@C<H66< 2? :?4C62D:?8=J DEC@?8 @AE:@? 7@C 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am