On this Earth Day, with Mt. Eyjafjallajökull still actively billowing its disruptive ash, we’re given yet another opportunity to contemplate man’s relative impotence in the face of nature’s power. By volcanic standards, this one is really considered something of a minor event. I like to think of it as something of a karmic reminder from Mother Earth that we cannot take our position on this planet for granted or become too overconfident that our technological solutions alone can save us. So while the atmosphere got a short reprieve from the 344,000 tons of CO2 released every day through the European aviation, stranded travelers were also given the opportunity to think twice about the necessity of all these millions of flights we make every year. I was encouraged to see one frustrate traveler get the message in a recent New York Times post:

“Myself and 12 others from our company have been stuck in London since last Friday, we only came here for a two day workshop. Why do people fly across the Atlantic for one-day meetings or two-day workshops anyway? What an insane waste of jet fuel, time and effort, especially in an age of Internet and teleconferencing. Lots and lots of gratuitous long-distance air travel going on, which will likely be harshly re-examined when the (pardon the pun) dust has settled.”

Today is Blog Action Day where over 20,000 bloggers from around the world are banding together to focus attention on and raise funds for a single important cause. This year the focus is on the environment. In a timely coincident the Nobel Prize Committee helped the cause considerably last week by awarding the 2007 Peace Prize to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore for their work in creating “an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming.” As they put it:

“By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC and Al Gore, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is seeking to contribute to a sharper focus on the processes and decisions that appear to be necessary to protect the world’s future climate, and thereby to reduce the threat to the security of mankind. Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control.”

Unfortunately, in spite of all the attention being paid to environmental issues, most businesses have been slow to take up the cause. In the last year, for example, over 500 million business trips were made in the US – more than double the amount made just four years ago. And while over 70% of business people in one survey thought that online meetings would be more efficient than meeting in person only about 20% of businesses are currently using online collaborative technologies as an alternative. The good news, however, is that the message is starting take effect as more business leaders realize that doing what’s right for their business is often what’s right for the environment as well. Using online collaboration tools such as Cozimo to reduce business travel is not only smart business but also smart for the environment.

For our contribution in support of Action Day, Cozimo has pledged 20% of our subscription revenues through November to help the World Wildlife Fund in their efforts to protect endangered wildlife, preserve wild lands and address threats and challenges.