In 2008, 125 million trees were felled in order to supply the US book and magazine industry sector with paper. A lot of publishing firms are environmentally conscious and use responsibly sourced wood pulp for their paper. Simply put, they plant a tree for every one they cut down. 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 over its lifetime. However, if you drive to the bookstore in your car, buy your book, and then drive home again, the carbon footprint of that book is increased by a factor of two. It’s thought provoking that small actions like this can make such a signiificant difference.
So it should be no surprise to learn that electronic book readers – such as the Amazon Kindle – are kinder to the environment. Over and above the fact that no paper, ink or water are used in the production of electronic books, the delivery method – internet download using either standard connection or 3G wireless technology – is friendlier to the environment.
Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that e-book readers have no environmental impact. Obviously they use up materials and energy during the production process of the reader device. They also require electrical power to operate. However, even when these factors are taken into consideration, they are still significantly better for the environment than the continued use of conventional printed books, newspapers and magazines.
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 more environmentally friendly will probably be a secondary consideration for many – even so, it will have a significant positive impact in the future.
