Earth to Philly introduces our newest blogger, Flavia Colgan, who was using her blog Citizen Hunter to urge people to 'go green' way back before everybody got sick and tired of that phrase. This entry is cross-posted there.

In the midst of the holiday hustle I did not get a chance to highlight an article in the Wall Street Journal on how we can inspire our office mates to be more green.  There is no better time to do this than with the start of a new year.  So let's put this on the top of our resolution list: Don't give up chocolate -- go greener, and encourage others to as well.

The article acknowledges that "going green" sounds great, but it is often hard to know where to start. Also, as with a diet, it is much easier to do it when others are not tempting you to go back to your bad ways, so having others around who encourage you in your green habits is great.

The office is usually where the worst green habits take place. Lights are left on for no reason, tons of paper wasted, and some places, if you can believe this, still use Styrofoam -- shock and horror! (You know who you are, Daily News and Inky cafeteria whom I have complained to in writing and verbally now 13 times to change your ways!!)

What does the article suggest that I do too?

1. As with exercise, Make it a daily habit, and start small or you are bound to fall off the wagon. Remember we are what we repeatedly do. "The best way to start is to reduce all the waste that involves paper, plastic or petro," says Tim Sanders, author of "Saving the World at Work." There are many ways to do this, he says. When using paper, print on both sides. Sharing a document? Use a USB drive or email a copy rather than printing. Instead of bottled water, install a water filter on the office kitchen sink. Turn off as many machines as possible each night when you go home -- and if you have your own office, don't forget to turn off the lights.

2.  If everyone helps out it will make more of an impact so Recruit folks to join your efforts.  The article suggests making signs that say "Think Before You Print" and post ing them near office printers.  I am not quite sure on this one since most people go to the printers once they have already printed, but it can help them think about it for next time. Another helpful tip: If you send PDFs, consider running them through www.greenpdf.com, which adds a pop-up box advising recipients not to print out the documents unless necessary.

3. Share the savings. Mr. Sanders suggests teaming up with a colleague in finance to help calculate the monetary savings the company will realize from the waste-reduction efforts -- what boss won't like that? Present the figures to your manager, and ask that the results be shared company-wide. Getting the word out will help spread the overall impact. In these tough economic times layoffs are very real and wouldn't you rather make lots of changes that might save your, or a friend's, job? And don't you think that if you are the one that starts it, many will see your value?

4. Bottom up, top down -- either works. Most successful efforts employ both managers and subordinates, says Rick Row, executive director of the nonprofit Sustainable Silicon Valley. So "talk to the janitor and the CEO, the person who sits next to you and someone you have never talked to before."

5. Have a good time -- you can read the WSJ explanation of this precept, but really, if you know me, that one should already be obvious.