Thursday, Sep 17, 2009

BBAW Week: eReaders Save Our Environment

Many of us “avid readers” read 2+ books per week.  If you calculate an average of 300 pages per book, plus covers and filler pages, you can estimate the average book has 305 pages.  To produce that book, you utilize not only the paper for the pages, but energy and ink as well.  Although I do not know the average cost of those printing costs, I can assume that they are substantial and do cause a negative affect on the environment.  Going with my theory, 52.177457 weeks in a year times 610 pages (average pages for 2 books per week), that totals 31,828 pages per year that an avid reader would use.

Going with this thought, and based on some basic calculations based on my findings on the internet, each avid reader is, in effect, cutting down the equivalent of 1.53 trees per year.  Now, if you factor in recycled materials, you are still looking at approximately 1 tree per year cut down for the avid reader’s consumption requirements.  Personally, I have already read 118 books so far this year.  I have approximately 40 more books on my shelf to read.  At 158 books, that means that my personal use equates to 2.3 trees cut down on my behalf for 2009 alone.  EEK.

If any of you have received an email from me, you will see that my footer looks like this:

Sheri F.

A Novel Menagerie

http://anovelmenagerie.com

Read Books...

  Protect Animals...

    Conserve Resources...

        Love With A Whole Heart...

Yes, you read that right!  “Conserve Resources.”  And, I’m killing over 2 trees a year, not to mention the ancillary emissions put into the environment during the printing, retailing, and shipping processes.  Not good, Sheri… NOT GOOD!

But, not everybody can afford the cost of these wonderful eReaders… right?  For me, this statement is true.   But, it is a savings goal of mine.  I look forward to purchasing titles at a lower cost, having immediate access to the book I purchase (via 3G wireless), and being able to save on shelf space in my home!  If I can offer a comparison, it’s the same as going from CD’s to iTunes.  I haven’t purchased an actual CD in sooo long.  My music library is held on my computer and my ipod.  I hope the same will be true someday for me with my books. 

Now… that’s not to say that I don’t love my cherished books.  One day, after the twins leave the nest, I hope to have a beautiful office with built-in shelves and a library of my favorite hardback books.  I will donate the majority of my softbacks long before then, I believe.  My library will reflect my lifetime collection and love of books… and I look forward to having my passion surround me in my dream office. 

There will always be that special place in my life for real books… in my hands… to pass along to friends… to share with my children.  But, if I could reduce my carbon imprint by doing a larger amount of my reading via an eReader, I’d be doing my planet a service!  (*Not to mention, backing up my belief system!*)

IREX has generously offered to donate a fantastic eReader to one very lucky book review blogger.  I recommend that you check out the details of this giveaway and participate in this wonderful opportunity to win an eReader!  Just think, that lucky winner will be helping our environment straight away!

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