Flickr Photo: Tim.DeeringKermit the frog crooned that "It's Not Easy Being Green," but we're seeing more and more examples of how it IS easy to be green. (Seriously, can I get a round of applause for that pun? I wrote that while sitting at an airport gate at 7am!)

When email went mainstream in the mid-nineties, there was enthusiastic yammering about the coming of the PAPERLESS office. Of course, we now know that the digital age has actually increased our paper consumption. But trees are only one small part of the strain that technology and IT departments put on the environment. In fact, the IT department may be the most resource consumptive department at your organization.

Lots of for- and nonprofits alike are turning to their IT departments to fuel the greening of their organizations, however, and they are saving money in the process. CIO Magazine just profiled the Washington Mutual IT department and their efforts. Though WaMu is certainly a larger enterprise than most, there are a few tips we can all learn from: