10 replies to this topic

[Hayden]

The following two infographics will help you decide how green e-books/e-readers really are. Reply with your thoughts...

Via: Visualoop

[MakingCents]

Seems like a no-brainer there, but a nice illustration none-the-less.  I do still buy books for things that I plan to keep forever, but no longer will I buy those trashy read 'em once and throw 'em away romance novels. -  and before you all go crazy I didn't actually throw them away, I usually donated or sold them but still :)   Now I will buy probably 90% of my books for my kindle.

[mariaandrea]

I don't dispute the fact that E-Readers are more environmentally friendly in the long run, and I may have missed this, but I didn't see where the energy required to produce, package and ship the E-Readers was figured into the calculations.

I don't have an E-Reader yet, though I plan to get one, and I admit I am a huge bibliophile. I own about 1,000 books and read about 100 per year. Some from the library, maybe 10 brand new books per year and I buy about 50 used books at book sales each year. The books I buy at book sales are for the most part old. Some very old. I figure I'm keeping out of the waste stream. It's actually astounding how many books used book stores destroy every year. Warehouses full. I love books and will never give them up totally, but there are certain books I'll be happy to download to an E-reader to do my part.

[Guardian]

I haven't made the switch yet. It's hard, I still love just opening a book, a real book, and reading. I keep them, the ones I don't donate or sell to a used book store for more credit. I don't toss them, but I do need to start reducing somehow. I at least don't buy newspapers anymore and do my reading online. Bad for the industry, but less paper being used, so that's a start. I'll have to convince my wife too, shes all about books, the paper version.

There's no doubt though that it reduces consumption and waste. I think the e-readers have a higher INITIAL consumption due to the electronics and manufacture, but over time I think they eventually may save. Although I would like to see something take the manufacture and charging of said e-readers into account when formulating these.

[jasserEnv]

Although e-readers likely win out in terms of total minimization of energy, I think the biggest factor will be the manufacturing location of the e-readers and their expected life time. China's industrialization is brutal on the environment. so there may lingering cleanup costs that are likely to be around for decades until the Chinese become educated enough to see the toxic dump they are living within and clean it up. Also, so much of the electronics made is of such poor quality or is being pushed so hard that replacement life can be 5 years or less. This will also add up. But, if we can do our best to kill the use of paper where possible, we are doing a good thing because the trees can help to clean the air that is also under threat from our collective bad behaviour.

[zararina]

I am not really a book reader and the usual books I have are textbooks from schools. I had received several books as a gift and those are usually used/read already. And also I have not read an e-book yet since I prefer reading articles which are shorter and can be read for just one sitting.
And for the illustration and explanations above, e books are really greener options specially in the long run.

[Sandra Piddock]

I take all this on board, but the fact remains that I love books - I love turning the pages, I love the feel of the paper, and I love the look of the print on the paper. On the other hand, I don't 'do' technical unless I really have to. Knowing my luck, I'd probably do something to make my e-book disappear into cyberspace never to be seen again - just before I find out 'whodunnit.'

I never buy a new book unless it's one I'm going to keep, though - I borrow books from the library, and buy second hand books from book exchanges and book stalls on the market, so I'm doing my bit in that respect.

[MakingCents]

Sandra Piddock, on 11 February 2012 - 09:26 AM, said:

I take all this on board, but the fact remains that I love books - I love turning the pages, I love the feel of the paper, and I love the look of the print on the paper. On the other hand, I don't 'do' technical unless I really have to. Knowing my luck, I'd probably do something to make my e-book disappear into cyberspace never to be seen again - just before I find out 'whodunnit.'

I never buy a new book unless it's one I'm going to keep, though - I borrow books from the library, and buy second hand books from book exchanges and book stalls on the market, so I'm doing my bit in that respect.

I was just like you but I got a kindle for a recent 2 week trip to FLorida.  I must say I love it. You finish a book and with one little button press you have another one right there.  I also like to read 2 or 3 books at a time and the kindle makes that soooo easy to do.   Some books I will still read as a 'book' but the kindle has it's place too.

[iebo]

I like real books, though I have downloaded a few e-books lately. I don't have a kindle or any kind of e-reader. I certainly don't think they are worth the price tag.
What will happen to libraries if real books aren't made any more? They would just be a place for people to play Facebook games, and that would be a tragedy.

[MakingCents]

Libraries are changing with the times too.  Already some libraries have jumped on board the e-reader bandwagon and provide books rented to people's e-readers.  I can't se a time when the written word, in book format vanishes completely. (although people probably said that about published encyclopedias)

[Green Thumb]

I usually buy second-hand books. It’s cheaper, most are good quality rarities and I don’t have to consume new books produce. But I also like e-books because of the fact that it keeps the trees from being uprooted. I just need to get used to it because no matter what, it feel’s good to turn every leaf by hand. I guess they should also turn it like in the 3D movies where simply you’re hand gesture of turning the page would turn the page in the reader.