Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
A few points to add to this list: - Paper production uses huge amounts of fresh water, mixed with chemicals and bleaches. When that water is through the system, it is generally dumped into the local watershed, chemicals, bleaches and all.
- Most paper processing plants are powered by coal-fired plants.
- Those concerned with the carbon footprint of a dedicated reader can always read e-books on a device they already have, such as a cellphone or PDA, and thereby not add to the waste stream by manufacturing another device.
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While I agree wholeheartedly with your last point, and still think a voracious reader comes out ahead with ebooks, I think we would also need to take into account the facts that plastics manufacture
also involves wastes being dumped into local watersheds and very likely is powered by a coal-fired plant.
There are a number of different ways that the impact of pbooks and ebooks can be compared, and trying to figure out how to weight them for an overall comparison is probably impossible (it would depend on which aspects of the factors are important to each individual). For example, the printing and binding process produces a lot of airborne cellulose fibers, which may present a breathing hazard. If the pbooks are produced in a low-cost region like China or India, odds are good the workers have no protection from these fibers. On the other hand, circuit board manufacture may involve exposure to lead and other heavy metals, and may also rely on child labor.
I'm not saying it isn't worthwhile to make these comparisons, only that they aren't simple.
