Bill Scott
19 August 2022

"Thanks" come at a cost

Posted in: Comment

I got an email the other day with this written at the bottom:

"Please don’t take offence if I don’t reply to say ‘thank you’. If every UK adult sent one less courtesy email a day, we’d save over 16,400 tons of carbon a year – so, think before you thank."

I was uneasy at this as I habitually say "Thanks", perhaps seeing email exchanges as conversations.

I've no idea whether the 16,400 "tons" – maybe that should be "tonnes" (or maybe not if it's American in origin) – is accurate, and I guess I ought to check it.  And I'm not sure who the "we" is.  Is that the world?  Maybe.  And what about non-adults?  What indeed.

Thanks for reading this.  There is no need to respond as I'll not take offence.

Posted in: Comment

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