Sep

E-Books Are Eco-Friendly

In 2008 the US book and magazine industry sector was responsible for the felling of 125 million trees. Many publishing firms are environmentally aware and use sustainably sources for their paper supply. In plain English, they plant a tree for every one they harvest. However, this is not yet universal and even those who do source responsibly generally fail to take account of the vast amounts of both water and thermal energy used in the process of paper manufacture.

The carbon footprint of the average book is 7.5 kg of CO2 during its lifetime. However, if you ho into your car, drive to the shopping district to buy your book, and then drive home again, the carbon footprint of that book will be 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. Even aside from the fact that no paper, ink or water are used in the production of electronic books, the method of delivery – download from the internet using either standard connection or 3G wireless technology – is considerably more environmentally friendly.

Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that e-book readers have no environmental impact. Clearly they consume both energy and materials in the course of the manufacturing process of the reader device. Additionally, they require electrical power when in use. Even when these factors are factored into the equation, they are still considerably 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. Thereafter, as usage increases, the manufacture and operating “cost” will be more than offset by the savings obtained by avoiding the production and distribution of traditional 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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