Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print?
E-waste is largely out of sight, but its impact can be profound, says award-winning writer.
This award-winning article from Don Carli looks at digital media and compares its environmental impact against print.
His article states:
“Public opinion polls show that concern about the environment rises and falls based on the state of the economy and other factors, but concern about the negative impacts associated with using paper and printing continues to rise. Nothing captures the essence of these feelings more vividly than the signature line appearing at the foot of more and more emails: “Please consider the environment before printing this email.’”
The article says that “if you care about the environment and the health of forests you should become more informed about the energy sources used by both digital and print media.”
He concludes: “Just because we cannot see something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. While paper mills emit visible plumes of steam and waste paper can pile up visibly in our homes and businesses, the invisible embodied energy or “grey energy” used to manufacture digital technologies and the toxic e-waste associated with electronics are largely out of sight and out of mind, but their impacts can be profound.”
Read the full article here: Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print?
