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| Digital Book Readers - Better For The Environment? |
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Most of us are, relatively speaking, more aware of the environment and our impact on it these days. Even so, it seems unlikely that we are going to transform into a nation of eco-warriors overnight - but the majority of us are more than happy to put in some effort to be kinder to the environment. In fact it's a lot of relatively small changes by a large number of people that will produce the biggest difference. The good news is that you can save both time and money whilst still being more environmentally friendly!
Most of us are, relatively speaking, more aware of the environment and our impact on it these days. Even so, it seems unlikely that we are going to transform into a nation of eco-warriors overnight - but the majority of us are more than happy to put in some effort to be kinder to the environment. In fact it's a lot of relatively small changes by a large number of people that will produce the biggest difference. The good news is that you can save both time and money whilst still being more environmentally friendly! A recent study performed by Carnegie Melon University clearly demonstrated that shopping online has less impact on the environment than the conventional method of purchasing goods from retail outlets. The example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick. It was shown that the environmental impact of the traditional retail method was 35% worse than using the internet to make an identical purchase. A parallel study - performed by CleanTech - found that the typical carbon footprint of a conventional printed book was 7.5 kg of CO2 over its lifespan. However, this figure doubled if the customer got into their car, drove to the store, picked up their book and then drove home again instead of having it delivered by mail. Roughly speaking, 65% of the emissions associated with traditional shopping methods are a consequence of the customer's transport to the store and the return journey home. Not only is shopping online better for the environment - it will save you time and you will often be able to find what you're after at a better price. You can increase the environmental benefits even more simply by choosing the right type of product. For example, if you choose to buy electronic books instead of the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy used in the printing and binding process. As a rule, electronic books are cheaper than the printed versions - plus you save on gas. You can even subscribe to get newspapers and magazines delivered to e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle reader every day. Likewise, if you choose to download music to your mp3 player or PC, you will save on the discks, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies, which you can now do from Amazon, iTunes and many other sites also offers both financial and environmental benefits. So when it comes to buying online, why not adopt a two pronged approach. Firstly, if you can save on a trip to the store in your car by buying online then that will normally be a sensible option. Secondly, if you can swap downloadable products for physical ones then you will not only be doing your bit for the planet - but you will save time and money. About the Author: Read more about the Amazon Kindle ebook reader and see how you can save by getting free Kindle books direct from the Amazon website. |