Work less, save the Earth?

The article discusses the 40-hour work week and willing acceptance of fewer work hours and less pay by workers in companies crimped by the economic crisis. It discusses the history of the 40-hour workweek, citing automaker Henry Ford and U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It discusses the concept of free choice in hours worked and the alleged lack of U.S. laws on weekly-work hours. The article discusses environmental benefits that would accrue from reduced consumption and freedom to engage in earth-friendly activities if people worked fewer hours. Perspectives in Europe and Great Britain are noted.