By Raz Godelnik •
September 7, 2009
This post was originally published on Eco-Libris blog on September 5.
On August 19 Cleantech Group published a report that was supposed to put an end to an ongoing debate on the question if the Kindle and other e-readers are actually greener than physical books. The release’s title was “E-readers a win for carbon emissions.”
It was supposed to be the life cycle analysis many people, including myself were waiting for. I have to admit I was very excited to read about it as we follow this debate for a long time. I decided to read it and see if this is really it. If it’s really over.
The report, entitled ‘The Environmental Impact of Amazon’s Kindle’ was written by senior reporter Emma Ritch. I read the executive brief (7-page long) and was happy to find a well-written analysis that integrates many pieces of information that together create a more coherent picture. At the same time I wasn’t that sure about the validity of the findings.
There were two main issues that bothered me mostly: the carbon footprint of a single Kindle and the assumption about the number of e-books the average user is reading. As you’ll see these are important factors in the analysis and have significant influence on the findings.
Here are my thoughts about them in more details:
1. What’s the carbon footprint of a single Kindle?
This is an important part of the analysis - you can’t have a comparison between physical books and the Kindle without this figure. But fortunately the report has it: “…the second-generation Kindle represents the same emissions as 15 books bought in person or 30 purchased online. That would yield a range of between 60.2 to 306 kg of CO2, or an average of 167.78 kg of CO2 during its lifespan.”
By Steve Savage •
August 10, 2009
In part one of this blog I acknowledged that I enjoy local food as a special treat in my diet but described three reasons that the true “locovore” concept was impractical: Limited Food Diversity, Quality Issues, and Water Issues. I’ll continue.
By Steve Savage •
August 10, 2009
I love eating locally produced foods when I have the chance. I enjoyed having access to fully tree-ripe stone fruit when I lived in Davis, CA. Today I get to enjoy the ultra-local herbs, vegetables and fruit from my garden part of the year, and I make 10-20 gallons of wine from my little vineyard. I feel that I am fortunate, not noble. In January our county (San Diego) is one of the few places producing strawberries and I certainly enjoy those, but it doesn’t mean I don’t buy them later in the year when they come from further North. Local food can definitely be a treat, but to think that it is a noble thing to be a “locovore” is a bit silly and often quite pretentious. There are plenty of non-local foods that you should eat with no sense of guilt. In this and my next blog I’ll talk about why.
By Lucille Chi •
March 12, 2009
Terra Plana is an interesting blend of what many would call ethical footwear.
The Terra Plana Ethical Policy states:
Inspired by ecological survival, Terra Plana believes in a variety of non-generic products and sustainable strategies. Guided by life cycle analysis, Terra Plana aims towards publishing accurate life cycle matrices for every product we produce. Reparability, lightness, anatomic design, and durability are all staples of sustainable shoe making. We at Terra Plana regularly re-evaluate what we can do to minimize waste and toxin use and maximize product use and love
Terra Plana has received international acclaim for their craftsmanship in publications like Vouge Italia (shown above) and also here on Feel Good Style in“Reason number one not to go barefoot this summer” we shared that:
By Pamela McLeod •
January 15, 2009
New Belgium Brewing Company already topped lists of sustainable beers. Its reputation and practices earned Chief Branding Officer Greg Owsley a talk at last June’s Sustainable Brands Conference. And now, the Colorado-based company has released its first sustainability report, which includes a life cycle analysis of a Fat Tire six-pack.
Triple Bottom Line
New Belgium’s sustainability report highlights what sustainable businesses call their “triple bottom line” - people, planets, and profits. With companies from different sectors starting to embrace sustainability (e.g., Toyota and GE), New Belgium’s market share success provides more evidence for green business as good business. The new report describes New Belgium’s ongoing and planned environmental and social initiatives, including renewable energy use, green building design, increased brewing efficiency, and a philanthropic bike festival (Tour de Fat).
On August 19 Cleantech Group published a report that was supposed to put an end to an ongoing debate on the question if the Kindle and other e-readers are actually greener than physical books. The release’s title was “E-readers a win for carbon emissions.”
