If you’re like most geeks I know you think acquiring new
gadgets will help you get laid. You may or may not be right.
To you, the gadget sitting by your bedside equates to a deer
head mounted on your wall. It’s your trophy -- a symbol of your financial prowess
(or your credit card company’s perception of it).
So, how green is this new toy of yours? The answer is as
complicated as, well… women.
If you use an e-reader like a Kindle to replace all of your newspaper
and book purchases, you could be saving about one tree per year. You would have
to e-read roughly two newspapers per day and 20 books per year to save an
entire tree, though. Granted, you wouldn’t be contributing to the paper
industry’s carbon dioxide emissions or solid waste production if you ditched
the paper versions of your purchases.
Before you get too excited about all of the green points you're scoring,
you have to consider the energy source providing the electricity for your
beloved gadget. If your electricity is powered by coal or another dirty source,
you’re still contributing to the problem. The question is: how much are you
contributing versus saving? This isn’t an easy calculation, and the answer is
not readily apparent.
Here’s something unexpected to consider, though. If you get
your news online, a Kindle could be a greener choice. Using an e-reader for 30
minutes uses about as much energy as using your computer for 10. It may or may
not be greener than print, but it definitely uses less energy than your home
computer.
If you do go the e-reader route, there are things you can do
to lessen the environmental impact of your purchase. Don’t replace it with the
newest model and color just because you can. And for the love of god, don’t
throw your old one out when you’re done with it. Amazon has a recycling program
for old Kindles as well as Kindle batteries.
If you want more info on the subject, check out this link.
