William Gibson On eBooks vs. Paper

Speakeasy - WSJ: "[the advent of eBooks] doesn’t fill me with quite the degree of horror and sorrow that it seems to fill many of my friends. For one thing, I don’t think that physical books will cease to be produced. But the ecological impact of book manufacture and traditional book marketing –- I think that should really be considered. We have this industry in which we cut down trees to make the paper that we then use enormous amounts of electricity to turn into books that weigh a great deal and are then shipped enormous distances to point-of-sale retail. Often times they are remained or returned, using double the carbon footprint. And more electricity is used to pulp them and turn them into more books. If you look at it from a purely ecological point of view, it’s crazy."

The Eco-Friendly Kindle

DailyTech: "Producing one paperback book is not as bad for the environment as producing one Kindle, but a one-time purchase of a Kindle and downloading books rather than continuously buying paperback's is better for the environment. Buying a Kindle is a good idea (environmentally) for people who will download a large number of books, and who don't trade in gadgets every year. According to Cleantech, an environmental consulting firm, a book generates 7.5 kilograms, or 17 pounds, of carbon dioxide equivalents through production, transport and disposal or recycling. A Kindle, on the other hand, generates 168 kilograms, or 371 pounds of carbon dioxide. But according to The Washington Post, the Kindle pays for its carbon dioxide emissions halfway through the consumer's 23rd book. Every time a consumer downloads an electronic book rather than buying a paperback, a small amount of the water and carbon dioxide deficit from Kindle production is paid back."

iPad and Kindle Books = Better for Environment than Print Books

Washington Post/Brian Palmer: "Environmental analysis can be an endless balancing of this vs. that. Do you care more about conserving water or avoiding toxic chemical usage? Minimizing carbon dioxide emissions or radioactive nuclear waste? But today the Lantern has good news: There will be no Sophie's Choice when it comes to e-books. As long as you consume a healthy number of titles, you read at a normal pace and you don't trade in your gadget every year, perusing electronically will lighten your environmental impact. ..."