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Reducing The Carbon Footprint Of Reading With E-Book Readers
The US book and magazine industry was responsible for the felling of 125 million trees in 2008. Many publishing firms are environmentally aware and use sustainably sources for their paper supply. In simple terms, they plant a new tree for every one they cut down. However, not all do this and even those who do usually fail to take account of the large quantities of water and thermal energy used in the production of the paper.
The carbon footprint of the average book is 7.5 kg of CO2 during the course of its lifetime. However, if you jump in your car, drive down to the bookstore, purchase your book, and then drive home again, that book’s carbon footprint is immediately doubled. It’s surprising that such relatively small actions like this make such a large difference.
So it should be no surprise to learn that electronic book readers – such as the Amazon Kindle – are kinder to the environment. Apart from the fact that no paper, ink or water are used in the production of electronic books, the delivery method – download from the internet using either standard connection or 3G wireless technology – is much more environmentally friendly.
Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that e-book readers have no environmental impact. Clearly they consume both materials and energy during the manufacturing process of the reader device. Additionally, they require electrical power when in use. However, even taking these factors into consideration, they are still much better for the environment than the continued use of traditional printed books, magazines and newspapers.
It is estimated that in 2009, e-book readers will be “carbon neutral” – the CO2 saved by the use of electronic media will almost exactly balance the CO2 used to manufacture and power the devices. Looking forward to the not so distant future, as usage increases, the manufacture and operating “cost” will be more than offset by the savings achieved by avoiding the manufacture and distribution of conventional paper based books and magazines.
The majority of people will purchase their Kindle reader based on the fact that it’s convenient, trendy and that it offers a way for them to save money on books. The fact that it’s better for the environment may only be a secondary consideration for many – even so, it will have a very positive impact in the future.
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