Does a multi-use gadget such as the iPad increase the environmental credentials of the ebook because it means this single piece of electronica – unlike the Kindle - also provides lots of other uses? But what about the fact that most electronic gadgets have a limited life span before the Next Big Thing comes along? For example, how many iPods has the average music fan gone through over the past decade? Or mobile phones, for that matter? By comparison, a book made of dead trees can last hundreds of years – and, furthermore, be recycled into another book upon its demise.
Are ebooks greener than paper books? | Leo Hickman | Environment | guardian.co.uk
What at first seems like a no-brainer - no more printing, save the trees! - increasingly looks like a flawed theory, especially in these early years of e-reader adoption.
Like the iPod’s evolution, e-reader technology will improve quickly and manufacturers will have real market data and user trends to go on.
That means, again like the iPod, we will all want the latest and vastly improved device, which leads to more enviro-techno-destruction.
It’s quite a quandary.
