Amazon announced this morning that they officially sell more ebooks, than print books. The ratio reaches 100 print books for 105 e-books, and this is supposed to continue to rise, especially considering that this year the sales of ebooks have trippled all of last years already.
However, these changes in purchasing may not necessarily be better for our environment.
Yes, e-books are paper free, saving our woodlands and protecting the eco-system which is a major bonus over paper books. However, the energy consumption throughout production and use of these computers may be far worse.
An e-book reader uses more energy in its manufacturing process than a book does, and again uses a great amount of energy to be disposed of safely and properly due to the toxins and rare substances used in production, where a print book does not. E-book readers require even more energy to be read where print books need absolutely no more energy outside of production. The KTH Royal Institure of Technology has even said that after 10 minutes of reading you use more carbon to run the computer than it did to create the print book.
A lot of work and effort is still being put into developing a paperless reading method, but until then a e-book reader will not be on my Christmas wish list, but nor will I be shopping at Chapters.
If I`d like a book the surely more environmentally friendly way is the library.
-Em
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