Comments on: The Carbon Impact of Reading On Paper or Online http://dearscience.org/2009/02/13/the-carbon-impact-of-reading-on-paper-or-online/ Seattle's Only Scientist Sat, 12 May 2012 05:47:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kevin Scaldeferri http://dearscience.org/2009/02/13/the-carbon-impact-of-reading-on-paper-or-online/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Kevin Scaldeferri Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:02:10 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=696#comment-436 > I’m ignoring the energy costs of running the printing presses, figuring they are probably predominantly powered by non-carbon emitting hydroelectric and wind power. How come the printing presses get the benefit of this assumption, but the data centers and home computers don't? Personally, I buy 100% green power at home. > I’m ignoring the energy costs of running the printing presses, figuring they are probably predominantly powered by non-carbon emitting hydroelectric and wind power.

How come the printing presses get the benefit of this assumption, but the data centers and home computers don’t? Personally, I buy 100% green power at home.

]]> By: Jonathan Golob http://dearscience.org/2009/02/13/the-carbon-impact-of-reading-on-paper-or-online/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Jonathan Golob Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:58:00 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=696#comment-435 Bertil, I've added a graphic, as per your suggestion. My calculations for the print edition already account for the unread copies--by distributing the carbon cost of those unread papers among the circulation of the paper. David Quaid, That is an interesting notion. So long as the trees are replanted, the carbon impact from making the pulp should be reduced. I ultimately went with the EPA's determination of the carbon impact of paper manufacturing. To re-emphasize, switching to 100% post-consumer recycled paper would dramatically reduce the print edition's carbon impact. Bertil,

I’ve added a graphic, as per your suggestion. My calculations for the print edition already account for the unread copies–by distributing the carbon cost of those unread papers among the circulation of the paper.

David Quaid,

That is an interesting notion. So long as the trees are replanted, the carbon impact from making the pulp should be reduced. I ultimately went with the EPA’s determination of the carbon impact of paper manufacturing. To re-emphasize, switching to 100% post-consumer recycled paper would dramatically reduce the print edition’s carbon impact.

]]> By: Bertil Hatt http://dearscience.org/2009/02/13/the-carbon-impact-of-reading-on-paper-or-online/comment-page-1/#comment-434 Bertil Hatt Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:50:29 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=696#comment-434 Would you mind adding a graphic, just so we can tell the scales more easily — maybe, for on-line reading, put the power on one dimention and the duration of the reading on another; also, maybe consider the loss of unread print copies, how many readers each printed copy has, and whether people read the entire printed paper. Would you mind adding a graphic, just so we can tell the scales more easily — maybe, for on-line reading, put the power on one dimention and the duration of the reading on another; also, maybe consider the loss of unread print copies, how many readers each printed copy has, and whether people read the entire printed paper.

]]> By: David Quaid http://dearscience.org/2009/02/13/the-carbon-impact-of-reading-on-paper-or-online/comment-page-1/#comment-433 David Quaid Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:00:49 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=696#comment-433 But doesn't paper and recycled paper consist of tree material? Isn't this carbon still trapped? Old trees grow slowly, thus removing less carbon. If we cut them down and turn them into furniture and paper, the carbon isn't released. New trees can be planted and will remove CO2 while the carbon in the old trees is trapped in the wood making the furniture and the paper (which is recycled). But doesn’t paper and recycled paper consist of tree material? Isn’t this carbon still trapped? Old trees grow slowly, thus removing less carbon. If we cut them down and turn them into furniture and paper, the carbon isn’t released. New trees can be planted and will remove CO2 while the carbon in the old trees is trapped in the wood making the furniture and the paper (which is recycled).

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