That was a non-sarcastic title by the way, honest. It's hard to tell online, you know. Sarchasm is even worse - so awkward.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

As much as we all enjoy fluffy, feel-good tips on conservation, what good is it if it goes in one ear (eyeball in this case) and out the other? That's why it's important to find real-world examples of businesses that are enjoying the benefits of a greener corporate lifestyle.

Today, it's Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises (think Cox Communications, Television, Radio, AutoTrader.com...), which launched a new site called Cox Conserves. Informed, in part, by the conservation efforts of its own 80,000-strong workforce, the slick, Flash-rich site supplies case studies as well as tips for the home and office.

So what exactly did they manage to accomplish?

Since 2000, Cox Enterprises has reduced its energy consumption by 10 percent while growing at nearly 12 percent a year. Building on this success, the goal of Cox Conserves is to reduce its energy consumption by an additional 20 percent by 2017.

The site goes on to explain that their efforts are expected to keep 172,000 tons of greenhouse gases out of the air, or the equivalent of the pollution generated by powering 26,000 homes (presumably by coal and gas).

Be warned though, while many of their "What We've Done" bullet points are interesting and informative (LED lighting on radio towers, low emission/hybrid news fleet cars, GPS for intelligent routing), some fall into the information overload category. Overall, nice stuff. But hold the phone...

<rant>

CoxConserves.com carries the whiff of a public relations exercise.

Why?

Now that businesses are scrambling out of their Wall Street gray and into green hippy chic duds, everyone is building a green site/microsite -- nicely tucked away but kept handy when called for.

Rather saddening because there's little doubt that they have made great environmental strides. So why not flaunt it?! This content deserves prominent placement, or at least a link, on Cox.com, AutoTrader.com and its media sites. These are the sites where their broadband customers and the majority of their Web audience interact with the company. Who's going to think to go to CoxConserves.com?

</rant>

Still, it's a step in the right direction. And if it provokes others to conserve, then it's PR money well spent.