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I really appreciate this thread. Once you think past the more obvious, such as trees and shipping costs, there are more extensions than I would have expected. Scotty1024's comments on the pluses of paper are particularly interesting -- as a major "paper collector" myself, with more books on my shelves than should be legal, I find some comfort in thinking I may be doing a good thing after all in keeping those beloved tomes. OTOH, I have been around several paper mills, and the aesthetics of papermaking itself are not so good. I wonder how the final equation of pollution versus carbon sequestering would balance, but I know that being able to reach for a paper reference volume is sometimes priceless. And reading a child stories from a well-handled favorite book is also something I'd hate to give up. I think of the Kindle not as a global replacement for my books but as an extension, though the idea of getting rid of newspapers and magazines sure has appeal!
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