Groups of larger size inhibit the freedom of expression of the less articulate and less aggressive participants whose views may well be both specially relevant and less distorted by needs for personal aggrandisement Larger groups are generally less effective in this mode of operation and therefore absorb considerable person-hours when those involved could better employ their attention on other activities. This is an extremely inefficient use of human resources in which many travel long distances without having the opportunity to express their views and priorities. Project environment and resource use 17. It is only appropriate that an international project should make use of recycled paper and reusable envelopes, for example. It is counter-productive to assemble people to engage in projects whose operational budgets are of the same order of magnitude as the cost of their preparatory meetings, and to waste time discussing the details and viability of such budgets.
Smoking fouls the air.
It is especially inappropriate in meetings about environmental questions. Alcohol dulls the mental faculties, diminishing the value of participant contributions and thus of the exercise. In addition, it is against the principles of some major cultures and therefore offensive to them. It constitutes a significant waste of scarce resources at a time when budgetary restrictions are increasing and many viable projects go unfunded. Furthermore, it is unseemly that participants should engage in such activity, which often amounts to conspicuous overconsumption, at a time when two-thirds of the world's population is short of food or starving.