Jane Powerson working less
Working less isn't just good for our stress levels, relationships and general health. It's good for the planet, too. Those who work long hours have less leisure time, and are more likely to rely on time- or energy-saving devices or practices. For instance, they are more inclined to drive rather than walk or cycle, to choose convenience food over home-cooked, and to dry their laundry in a machine, rather than hanging it on a line.
Working more usually leads to more money. But the more we earn, the more we consume, which leads to a depletion of resources, the creation of unnecessary waste, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions - none of which are positive factors in managing our planet's capacity. Or look at it from a financial angle: earning more money and having less time makes us reliant on labour-saving technologies, products and services. But we actually end up working longer hours to pay for these time-saving mechanisms.
Americans work longer hours than almost all other nations in the western world, according to a report by the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research (www.cepr.net), Are Shorter Work Hours Good for the Environment? A Comparison of US and European Energy Consumption. In 2003, it states, US workers spent 1,817 hours on the job, while the average for "old Europe" (the first 15 states to enter the EU) was 1,562. The Irish came in at 1,653 hours per annum, one of the highest rates in Europe.
Energy consumption per capita in the US is about twice that of the average European country, with correspondingly high C02 emissions. If Europe moved to an American labour model with longer working hours, says the report, our energy use would increase by 25 per cent, our emissions would increase proportionately, and we would be unable to meet our Kyoto commitments. A Canadian political party, the Work Less Party, is campaigning for a 32-hour week. Such a move would not only be good for the environment, it maintains; it would also result in more jobs for more people, improved democracy, more sustainability, better health, more efficient cities and stronger communities. The party's motto is "Alarm clocks kill dreams." And, because that party's ideas seem rather fine, this article is about 10 per cent shorter than usual.