Could reading newspapers online be harder on the environment than enjoying them the old-fashioned way—on paper?
Perhaps in some respects, if you rely on a desktop computer rather than a little PDA or a dedicated E Ink reader such as a Kindle, Sony or iLiad.
“Reading online on a desktop computer for 10 minutes produces the same load on the environment as reading an e-book for half an hour, and reading online for 30 minutes has the same overall effect as reading a print newspaper.”
So says Would you like that book in paper or plastic?—an article in Environmental Science & Technology—in summing up some recent research.
E-book angle
Now, what are the implications for people (1) reading the newspaper online longer than half an hour on a desktop or (2) reading an entire book? Check out ES&T.
Oh, the variables to consider, and I don’t just mean disposal of old computers or whether you use an LCD or cathode ray tube monitor! Remember, many people like to leave their desktops on constantly to download podcasts or for other reasons, such as avoidance of boot-up delays. If so, that would reduce the extra eco-strain from actual reading—since the equipment would have been humming away regardless. Then again, some might say: “Does your desktop really need to be on all the time?” Power saving tips, welcomed! Your thoughts on power management and the rest, in an e-book context?
Hopefully the day will come when we get away from recreational reading on computer screens altogether(even the highlighted Vye machine a few posts up) and have lower cost E Ink (or some newer technology) devices instead.
It is an interesting article. Bottom line, as I think David has said, much of the “eReading is bad” is based on a theory that a computer exists only to read the newspaper, and that it will be thrown away every year or so. For those of us who use computers for multiple purposes, the newspaper reading can be considered a marginal activity–with no incremental waste products. Clearly moving to more energy-efficient computers and monitors is worth considering.
The way I bottom-lined this article, though, is that eReading is ecologically far more efficient than paper reading, especially if done on an energy-efficient device. That’s certainly my take.
Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com
yYou can’t get contact dermatitis from reading any type of screen.