Quote:
Originally Posted by Goshzilla
The only way I can see how ebooks could reduce the environmental impact upon each reading is using far less electricity than it currently uses, and a source of power that is seperate from power plants. I would have to think the only things that would make any sense is a.) a bicycle generator, b.) solar power cells
But is that really a solution? is that really lessening the environmental impact?
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Most people don't realize the immense amount of electrical power, as well as the huge amounts of water and other chemicals, plus bulk transportation costs and fuels, needed to run a paper mill and produce paper (you don't just cut those trees real thin, and they show up at Office Depot). For the uninitiated, it can be staggering.
The amount of energy required to produce electronic components, plus 30 minutes of electrical power, easily equals the amount of energy required to make enough paper for 30 minutes of reading. The environmental savings come as you read more than 30 minutes on a reader, as the additional power consumed by the reader is significantly less than the amount of power and chemicals used to create each single sheet of paper.