Last month, when the Wall Street Journal made the claim that “e-textbooks are environmentally friendly,” the Dead Tree blog fired back with International Paper’s “Are Pixels Greener Than Paper” study, which compares the environmental profile or ink-on-paper publications to digital publications. Some findings? “The paper and forest products industry replenishes more than it takes, and ensure the sustainability of our forests by planting 1.7 million trees every single day, more than three times what is harvested.” As for electronics, “making a computer requires the mining and refining of dozens of minerals and metals, including gold, silver and palladium, as well as the extensive use of plastics and hydrocarbon solvents.” Also: “The lifespan of a computer is short, and electronics have become the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Much of that waste is toxic. Paper is reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable.” Check out more findings here.
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