[CAnet - news] How Amazon Kindle eBook addresses climate change through de-materialization

"Bill St. Arnaud" <[email protected]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:01:56 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.culture.publications.news
Organization CANARIE Inc
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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For more information on this item please visit my blog at 

http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/ or http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com

-------------------------------------------

 

 [Further to my earlier posting on the Amazon Kindle here is another
analysis of the carbon saving capabilities of the devices. And as I
mentioned previously a large part of the cost of an eBook could be paid for
in Carbon offsets.  Thanks to Jerry Sheehan for this pointer. Some
excerpts-BSA]

 

http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/19/why-the-kindle-is-good-for-the-planet/

 According to a fascinating report from the <http://cleantech.com/>
Cleantech Group, called The Environmental Impact of Amazon's Kindle, one
e-Book device on average can displace the buying of about 22.5 physical
books per year, and thus deliver an estimated savings of 168 kg of CO2 per
year.

As Emma Ritch, author of the report put it:

Multiplied by millions of units and increased sales of e-books, e-readers
will have a staggering impact on improving the sustainability and
environmental impact on one of the world's most polluting industries: the
publishing of books, newspapers and magazines.

The report takes a look at the effect of the book and magazine publishing
industries on both trees and carbon emissions: the U.S. book and magazine
sectors accounted for the harvesting of 125 million trees in 2008, and an
average book has a carbon footprint of 7.46 kilograms of CO2 over its
lifetime. A book's carbon footprint also can double if you drive to the
store and buy it, versus having it shipped in the mail. So
<http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/17/how-digital-music-can-fight-climate-change
/>  in a similar way to how downloading digital music and listening to it on
your computer has a much better carbon footprint than driving to the store
and purchasing a CD, the savings for e-Books are about both
dematerialization and eliminating the need for transportation.

If a Kindle-user uses the device for the full storage capacity, Ritch says
it can "prevent the emission of nearly 11,185 kg of carbon dioxide
equivalent," and for the Kindle DX, that can jump to a savings of 26,098 kg
of carbon emissions. But a more average user, who probably won't use the
full storage capacity, will buy about three e-books per Kindle per month,
and the report predicts that average consumer would displace closer to 168
kg of CO2 per year.

Considering all of the projected e-Book devices sold between 2009 and 2012
in the U.S., (and taking into account that e-Books don't often replace books
in a 1 to 1 ratio) the report says that e-Books could save 9.9 billion kg of
CO2 from being emitted. 

 

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These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect
those  of the CANARIE board or management.

 


 


 

 

------

[email protected]

[email protected]

http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/

 


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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText>For more information on this item please visit =
my blog at
<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><a =
href=3D"http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/">http://green-broadband.blog=
spot.com/</a>
or <a =
href=3D"http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com">http://billstarnaud.blogspot.co=
m</a><o:p></o:p></p>

<p =
class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------------<o:p></o:=
p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p>&nbsp;[Further to my earlier posting on the Amazon Kindle here is =
another
analysis of the carbon saving capabilities of the devices. And as I =
mentioned
previously a large part of the cost of an eBook could be paid for in =
Carbon offsets.&nbsp;
Thanks to Jerry Sheehan for this pointer. Some =
excerpts&#8212;BSA]<o:p></o:p></p>

<p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p><a
href=3D"http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/19/why-the-kindle-is-good-for-the-p=
lanet/">http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/19/why-the-kindle-is-good-for-the-p=
lanet/</a><o:p></o:p></p>

<p>&nbsp;According to a fascinating report from <a =
href=3D"http://cleantech.com/">the
Cleantech Group</a>, called The Environmental Impact of Amazon&#8217;s =
Kindle,
one e-Book device on average can displace the buying of about 22.5 =
physical
books per year, and thus deliver an estimated savings of 168 kg of CO2 =
per
year.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>As Emma Ritch, author of the report put it:<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal>Multiplied by millions of units and increased sales =
of
e-books, e-readers will have a staggering impact on improving the
sustainability and environmental impact on one of the world&#8217;s most
polluting industries: the publishing of books, newspapers and =
magazines.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>The report takes a look at the effect of the book and magazine =
publishing
industries on both trees and carbon emissions: the U.S. book and =
magazine
sectors accounted for the harvesting of 125 million trees in 2008, and =
an
average book has a carbon footprint of 7.46 kilograms of CO2 over its =
lifetime.
A book&#8217;s carbon footprint also can double if you drive to the =
store and
buy it, versus having it shipped in the mail. <a
href=3D"http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/17/how-digital-music-can-fight-clim=
ate-change/">So
in a similar way to how downloading digital music</a> and listening to =
it on
your computer has a much better carbon footprint than driving to the =
store and
purchasing a CD, the savings for e-Books are about both =
dematerialization and
eliminating the need for transportation.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>If a Kindle-user uses the device for the full storage capacity, Ritch =
says
it can &#8220;prevent the emission of nearly 11,185 kg of carbon dioxide
equivalent,&#8221; and for the Kindle DX, that can jump to a savings of =
26,098
kg of carbon emissions. But a more average user, who probably =
won&#8217;t use
the full storage capacity, will buy about three e-books per Kindle per =
month,
and the report predicts that average consumer would displace closer to =
168 kg
of CO2 per year.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p>Considering all of the projected e-Book devices sold between 2009 and =
2012
in the U.S., (and taking into account that e-Books don&#8217;t often =
replace
books in a 1 to 1 ratio) the report says that e-Books could save 9.9 =
billion kg
of CO2 from being emitted. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p =
class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>=


<p class=3DMsoPlainText>To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to <a
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o=
:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText>These news items and comments are mine alone and =
do not
necessarily reflect those&nbsp; of the CANARIE board or =
management.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<h3><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></h3>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal>------<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal>[email protected]<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal>http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

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