[LINK] PDF files containing the statement - printed on recycled paper

[Tom Worthington]

At 05:27 PM 5/08/2008, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>Do these PDF files refuse to be printed on other stationary? ...

By an amazing coincidence, this was just released:

                 LINKGRAM

         Link Institute Media Release

NEW PRINTERS CHECK ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS
GREEN DATA CENTERS TO BALANCE GREEN POWER LOAD

Canberra, 6 August 2008: The Link announced today a breakthrough for 
environmentally responsible ICT. Printer manufacturers are now able 
to ensure recycling and other environmental claims for print 
documents automatically using international standards. Data center 
operators will be able to balance green power loads between distant locations.

Eco-printers (TM) include an electronic version the company 
environmental profile (Annex A) and environmental product attributes 
(Annex B) specified in ECMA-370 
<http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-370.htm>THE 
ECO DECLARATION (2nd edition December 2006) . The printers can read 
electronic labels on their consumables, including ink, paper and 
electrical power supply. The printers will check these conformance 
statements against claims make in the metadata of the documents to be 
printed (such as "printed on recycled paper", "using soya based 
ink"). In full conformance mode, the printer will not print a 
document which claims to be on recycled paper on non recycled paper 
or power up using non-green power.

Professor Klerphel said: "The Australian Government is amongst 
foresighted organisations who have included environmental 
specifications in its electronic documents, with 'printed on recycled 
paper' in PDF documents. Some commentators have ridiculed the 
government for making nonsense claims and not bothering to proof read 
their reports properly. But I can now reveal this was part of a 
carefully prepared strategy, to ensure these requirements are 
complied with when the document is printed. Eco-printers (TM)  will 
automatically ensure compliance with environmental claims."

It planned to expand the scheme to computer monitors and computers, 
which will limit their power consumption to comply with green power 
requirements. The computers will verify digital certificates issued 
by the electricity supplier, certifying green power content. Where 
not enough green power is available, the computer equipment will 
switch to a lower power mode or  turn off.

Computer centres will be able to implement automated off peak 
processing: a center which has a local supply of green power will be 
able to take over processing from one in a non-green region. Moving 
the power load has significant cost and power saving, over the usual 
engineering practice of moving the power long distances via 
transmission girds. A computer center close to the green power source 
can use the power when available. When the wind stops bowing on wind 
turbines, the processing load can be switched within seconds to a 
computer center on the other side of the country (or world) where the 
sun is shining on solar panels.

<ECMA-370>Printed on Recycled Paper</ECMA-370>

*** ENDS ***

;-)



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Australian National University