[LINK] Environment department used 30 sheets of paper per person per day

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Michael Still wrote:
> Adrian Chadd wrote:
>> On Wed, Jan 28, 2009, Stilgherrian wrote:
>>> On 28/01/2009, at 9:06 AM, Jon Seymour wrote:
>>>> Elimimating waste is, of course, worthy, but one suspects that the
>>>> environmental footprint of a netbook over its lifetime (3 years) is
>>>> greater than 65 reams of plantation derived paper
>>> I sincerely hope, Sir, that you're not suggesting we start making  
>>> decisions on the basis of rational analysis rather than slogans and  
>>> symbols? That would be the end of civilisation as we know it!
>> Wouldn't it suck if the actual environment impact of sending out
>> everything via paper, all the overheads in processing it, printing it,
>> processing it, recycling it, etc is actually less than doing everything
>> electronically?
>>
>> Sounds like a study that'll never get funding. :)
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. Paper is recyclable... Most 
> electronics are not (well, you can reuse, but can't recycle). Oh, and 
> the manufacturing techniques for most electronics are pretty scary.
> 
> That's why I only buy fiction novels second hand... Its good for the 
> environment, and thus I get to be smug.

A few years ago there was some scandal that Australia shipped its paper to 
Canada for recyling. Things may have improved since then.

With regard to electronics, we may not be there yet, but it is worth noting that 
a requirement for a new car grant from the German Government was that the old 
car got scrapped properly (and not sold for reuse in eastern europe).

> Meanwhile, German car owners swamped a hotline with calls this week after the government invited applications for a big cash handout to anyone crushing an old car and buying a new one.
<http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3968208,00.html>

Perhaps these are some of the green jobs we need to create and the structural 
changes our economy requires. Apparently the funding for grants for digital 
settop boxes/tvs ran out in the US. Perhaps the new administration will 
establish new environmental programs....after all the people who put the gadgets 
together should be able to take them apart.

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202