How then, do we move backwards? How does a society, with most of the people having no clue of future events, move from being dependent on a vast and intertwined network of goods and services produced by the indigenous people of whereever, to a local resource and renewable energy based society, and do so in the timeframe available (20-30 years using the most liberal extimates, 10-20 with resonable estimates, 5-10 with worst case scenarios), all the while prices on everything increasing, world politics getting more militaristic, governments continuously reducing civil liberties, shortages of goods on the market and weather patterns resembling bad Hollywood movies?
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 3832 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:15 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
No, I'm serious. I'm sure most peeps could do the same amount of work in 5 or 6 hours a day instead of 8+. I mean, many peeps have down / wasted time at work every day. Example: How many posters here are at work right now.
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:58 pm Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
Vision-Master,
Yeah, I'm sure you're right. People don't work a full day, no matter what the length of it. I think it's a mental regrouping they do when it looks like goofing off. At least in mostly "mental" jobs. Physical jobs is another story.
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
Their is a work week called 9 x 80 where you work 9 hour days Monday through Thursday and work 8 hours one Friday and get the next off. That cuts commuting 10%. Not as good as the 20% drop of 4 x 10, but you don't get as much productivity dropoff from 9 hour days versus 10 hour days.
I have thought that companies should start doing this for their employees who are commuting from remote suburbs over an hour away - install "barracks" - places where they can spend the night. Or make it acceptable to have a cot in your cubicle.
Having an Internet connection at your desk has got to have reduced the productivity of the modern office worker. While it would have been unthinkable to read a magazine or newspaper at your desk during the day, now we will browse a newspaper or other web site during working hours.
Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
I work in a hospital lab. We have a crew that works four 10 hr shifts M-Th and another crew that works three 12 hr shifts F-Sun. I work the three 12 hrs & I love it. I've been doing it for three years, now. After working 8 hr shifts five days a week most of my life, I now have so much time at home, I just about feel semi-retired.
Joined: May 17, 2004 Posts: 1969 Location: Democratic People's Republic of Washington
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 2:17 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
vision-master wrote:
Why must we all work 40+ hours a week in the 1st place?
You don't have to work 40 a week if you don't want to. I have survived working 28 hour work weeks at 9.90/hr. You just don't travel absolutely anywhere except to the grocery store every 2-3 weeks, sign up for direct deposit for your paychecks, and walk to work every day. Now, I'm working 40 hour work weeks at my new job, and I'm making $300/mo more then I was at my old job. So yes, you don't have to work 40 if you don't want to. You just have to drastically cut your lifestyle, (if you aren't at work (or at the store getting supplies for the next 2-3 weeks), you're at home and going absolutely nowhere unless you walk there, and wherever you're going is free). _________________ Here Lies the United States Of America.
Joined: Aug 19, 2004 Posts: 76 Location: Austin (but moving east soon)
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:49 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
When graduating from radiography school, I had been guaranteed a job at the hospital where I currently work. My boss-to-be called me into his office and asked me about what hours I'd like.
"Weekend overnight. Three twelves."
He looked at me like I was nuts. But I'm still here, still getting a huge premium for the hours, still having super-long weekends. What am I doing with my weekends? I go grocery shopping on the way home, arrive home, and then I don't leave. No complaints here.
Joined: Jun 29, 2008 Posts: 82 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA / San Jose, CA
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:53 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
Funny topic because....
Utah goes to 4-day workweek to save energy
Starting next month, thousands of government employees will only work 4 days per week, in an effort aimed at reducing energy costs and commuters' gasoline expenses.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: zombie horde wonderland
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:02 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
vision-master wrote:
Why must we all work 40+ hours a week in the 1st place?
I don't, and I don't advocate it, personally. I work 2-4 hrs per day for money, more if there's tight deadline, sometimes up to 8 hrs per day.
I think we might all consider working less for money, and spending our extra time working to support ourselves through gardening, etc. Or working for trade or barter. _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy
Joined: Sep 08, 2005 Posts: 569 Location: Atlanta, GA
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:11 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
Ludi wrote:
vision-master wrote:
Why must we all work 40+ hours a week in the 1st place?
I don't, and I don't advocate it, personally. I work 2-4 hrs per day for money, more if there's tight deadline, sometimes up to 8 hrs per day.
I think we might all consider working less for money, and spending our extra time working to support ourselves through gardening, etc. Or working for trade or barter.
I wholeheartedly agree!
I'd love to live in a society in which people work less for money and more for barter, trade, etc.
In the last Depression, we very nearly went to a 30-hour week here in the US...can you imagine how much better off we'd be now if that came to be? We only have one life to live here on this Earth...I'd rather for us to spend a bit more time living and less time "working," most of which is totally unrelated to the essentials of life (food, shelter, clothing, etc). _________________ Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide...
Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:19 am Post subject: Re: 12 hour work days to reduce energy usage
I am on call 24-7 and 365 days a year. Work lots of 80 hour weeks. Wife a doctor and on 84 hour weeks now. We are worn out honestly. We want to live.
She carries 3 phones and a pager and I carry phone and pager too. What a life we have made for ourselves.
County govts in kansas are also going to 4 day weeks. Schools talked of that years ago and I think they will see the light soon. Dont have to heat and cool those blgds. I think its funny, we never had air conditioning in school when I went. Whats with that? We drank water and sweated. Then went home and played outside til bedtime. Now they go home and sit in front of the tv with games etc. No kids outside anymore that I see.
But the push to shorter days is coming except in our industries. THeyare 24 hour a day jobs and will always be. Not enough qualified ppl to do this work so you get hooked into doing it because you are responsible and feel guilty.
The next generation of ppl they are hiring for our jobs tho, wont work like that and move on. My job, there is 8,000 jobs nationwide and we cannot even find a person to go to work now. We have a huge number of men who are close to retirement and the company cannot figure out what they are going to do to staff their trains.
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