I am very fond of my Kindle (pictured left).1 Others swear by Sony's Reader. I'm not going to argue about which is the better reader, I just want to point out that another study has been released suggesting that eBook readers are a green alternative to paper books and magazines that you should consider.2
I carry copies of about a dozen books on my Kindle, but I suspect my biggest carbon savings will come from the magazines for which I no longer need paper, the Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker, and the Economist. I've also picked up subscriptions to a couple of magazines that I bought occasionally on newsstands, so I'm saving less paper there, but I'm better informed: Technology Review, the Times Literary Supplement.
As Adam Stein points out, used bookstores and libraries are greener than eBook readers for books, but I suspect that eBook readers will be hard to beat for magazines,
In 2008, the U.S. book and newspaper industries combined resulted in the harvesting of 125 million trees, not to mention wastewater that was produced or its massive carbon footprint.
The report indicates that, on average, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of a Kindle is fully offset after the first year of use.
The report, authored by Emma Ritch, states: "Any additional years of use result in net carbon savings, equivalent to an average of 168 kg of CO2 per year (the emissions produced in the manufacture and distribution of 22.5 books)." (source)
I carry copies of about a dozen books on my Kindle, but I suspect my biggest carbon savings will come from the magazines for which I no longer need paper, the Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker, and the Economist. I've also picked up subscriptions to a couple of magazines that I bought occasionally on newsstands, so I'm saving less paper there, but I'm better informed: Technology Review, the Times Literary Supplement.
As Adam Stein points out, used bookstores and libraries are greener than eBook readers for books, but I suspect that eBook readers will be hard to beat for magazines,
1That's not me holding it. How often have you seen me in a sports jacket?
2I discussed the first one last winter.
Digital Books are green.. I never have thought of that before. Yes, absolutely right, they are green. We could save millions of tree if we are using ebook. It is simply paperless.
I was very skeptical at first and put off buying the kindle for a long time. I enjoy the feel of a book in my hands and I thought the kindle would be more like reading off a computer. I was so wrong and I'm so glad I bought it. After the first 5 pages, I forgot that I wasn't holding a book (it probably helped that the first book I read was one of my favorite authors). The screen is so easy on the eyes. The kindle is so comfortable to hold. I go everywhere with it and charge it maybe once a week (I keep the wireless off unless I'm shopping). My husband loves the fact that I'm not cluttering the house with new books! It is pricey but if you buy as many books as I do, it will pay for itself within a year due to the low cost of most books.
The technology will be obsolete in a year or less. Then they'll wind up in the landfills, leaking toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Doesn't sound green to me.
Not as green as going to a library, to be sure. But I've had my Kindle for nearly two years, and I now have paperless subscriptions to The Economist (weekly), the Times Literary Supplement (weekly), the New Yorker (weekly), the Atlantic (monthly), Technology Review (monthly), and Foreign Affairs (bi-monthly). And I buy most of my non-professional books on my Kindle. That's saving a lot of paper and transportation.
So long as I keep my Kindle for a goodly amount of time before upgrading, I feel good about my choice.