Are E-books Greener than Traditional Books?
The Los Angeles Times has a fascinating article about the claim that e-books, and therefore e-book readers such as the Kindle and the Sony e-reader, are greener than traditional paper books. According to studies cited by the article, each paper book “releases 8.85 pounds of carbon dioxide.”
However, very little is known about the environmental effect of e-books and e-readers. Tyson Miller, founder and director of the Green Press Initiative, explains that in order to figure out the eco-friendliness of e-books, one would have to study the lifecycle of the e-readers. The lifecycle analysis would need to cover the amount of energy needed to power the e-reader, what goes into the production process, and if the product is recyclable.
Click here to read the full article.
