With global warming, climate change, melting polar ice caps, severe weather conditions... the truth, convenient or otherwise, is as evident as your next weather forecast. And the outlook is not looking too bright for this planet and everyone living on it.

As different countries struggle to get their act together to help solve this very serious problem, environmentally savvy individuals and companies are doing their part to ease this crisis. For even small changes in individual behavior or actions can add up to a big difference, especially as greater numbers of people take the whole issue of climate change more seriously.

One such area of action is Internet fax. It has proven to be an environmentally friendly way of faxing, mainly because Internet or online faxing is paperless. Just as email has saved valuable resources, so too does Internet fax.

According to Energy Star, a U.S. environmental protection agency, copiers and fax machines are the most energy-intensive types of business equipment because they are paper-intensive and are left on 24 hours a day. Keep in mind, paper production in terms of energy used is second only to petroleum, so using less paper products can only be seen as a good practice.

Internet fax is using the web and your email system to do your faxing; and because you send and receive your faxes as email attachments, it is paperless. In addition, you don't need an old-fashion fax machine and there's no need for a second phone line. All these factors make Internet fax an obvious choice for those conscious of needlessly wasting valuable resources in their business routines.

Using Internet fax is one way of going green. Many individuals and companies are now using Internet fax for this reason. Granted, this may be a secondary reason as most opt for Internet fax because it is much simpler and easier to use than regular faxing. It is also very convenient to have access to your faxes anywhere and anytime. You are no longer tied to your old fax machine.

MyFax is one fax service provider who is actively promoting the green angle in their marketing. It may prove to be a very smart marketing move as more potential customers become environmentally savvy and switch their future purchases to more "green" choices.

In order to take advantage of these "green" benefits you have to start using Internet fax. First you have to sign up to an Internet fax service provider who will give you your own toll-free or local fax number. You also get an online interface (site) where you can send and receive your faxes. You can also store your faxes online.

There are many well-known fax providers such as MyFax, eFax, TrustFax, Rapidfax, Send2fax... as well as lesser-known yet very good services such as Faxage out of Denver and MetroHiSpeed out of Seattle, which are also worth considering.

There is a small service charge for these faxing services that can be a very modest ($20 a year) to around $10 a month - depending on your faxing needs. Keep in mind, international faxing rates will be more expensive.

Regardless of which service you choose, using Internet fax is one way you can go green. It might seem like a small act but every little step in the right direction counts when you're conserving valuable resources.

So why not go green with Internet fax? You will not only discover an easier and more convenient way to fax, but you may just help save the planet in the process. Now you don't really need Al Gore to tell you how important that is? Do you?

Copyright (c) 2008 Titus Hoskins