British Council-How green is your office
Transcript of the podcast
Belinda: So, what did you want to see me about Gordon? Is everything ok
Gordon: Fine. Fine. I wanted to talk about making the office greener
B: Oh. Well, I’m all ears
G: Have you read that leaflet yet? – the one from GreenWays
B: I had a quick glance yes. I thought we were pretty green in this office
G: So did I. But after reading that leaflet I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a lot more things that we could do. I’ve had a look at a couple of web pages and I’ve got a few ideas
B: Ok. Let’s hear them
G: Right, first of all I think we should start buying refillable pens. Disposable ones are cheap but we use hundreds. We should buy a box of pens and a supply of refills
B: Would that work out cheaper
G: Yes. They’d be cheaper and more ecological
B: Ok. What else
G: Paper
B: But we already recycle paper. We’ve been doing it for years
G: Yes. But the paper we buy isn’t recycled. We should buy recycled paper, without bleach
B: And the quality
G: There are different grades of paper. The best recycled paper is indistinguishable from the paper we’re using
B: But isn’t it more expensive
G: No, not any more. It used to be but these days the prices are more competitive
B: Ok, let me think about the paper. What else
G: The coffee machine
B: Go on
G: We should get rid of it and buy a kettle
B: Well I must admit I don’t like the machine coffee very much but I think we ought to consult the rest of the staff about that one
G: Ok. Fair enough
B: Anything else
G: Oh yes. We ought to replace the paper towels in the toilets with an electric hand dryer
B: Would that save money
G: Yes. And it would be much kinder to the environment. And
B: Yes
G: We ought to lower the thermostat on the heating
B: But people would complain if we did that
G: I’m only talking about one or two degrees
B: Would that make a difference
G: Yes, we’d save about £۲۰۰ a year in our heating bills
B: Goodness. You really have been doing your homework, haven’t you
G: That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about
B: Yes
G: Well, I think you ought to pay me to be a green officer
B: (laughing): And what would that involve exactly, Gordon
G: Well, you wouldn’t have to pay me any extra but a part of my job description would include a few hours a month to make the office greener. I’d save the company hundreds of pounds and we’d all have a cleaner conscious
B: Well, you’ve certainly given me a lot to think about
G: Oh, I haven’t finished yet
B: What else is on that list
G: Ehm … low energy light bulbs, soyabased print cartridges, working from home once a month, bicycle racks
B: I’ll tell you what Gordon. Why don’t you write up a short proposal of what your job as “green officer” would consist of and what sort of changes you’d like to see made
G: And you’ll consider it
B: Yes. I think you’ve got a lot of good ideas. I’m sure we can come to some sort of an agreement. I’m afraid I have a meeting now so
Answers
F | ۱ |
F | ۲ |
T | ۳ |
F | ۴ |
T | ۵ |
T | ۶ |
T | ۷ |
F | ۸ |