Overview
- March is designated National Reading Month in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Washtenaw County students are participating in a month-long marathon reading activities. However, the initiative is not restricted to students. The goal is to encourage all Americans to read every day.
- Reading has been shown in studies to reduce stress and improve cognition. It is essential for education and personal growth. Are books bad for the planet? E-readers are better than books? Recent studies comparing the life span of books and e-readers have shown that it all depends on how many books you read in a given year.
- The paper-making process has a negative impact on the environment. The paper-making process includes harvesting trees, pulpwood, pulp production, bleaching sheet forming, drying, cutting, and drying. Gregory A. KeoleianDirector of the Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. Papermaking is a Water resource-intensive processYou can also find out more about a A wide range of chemicalsThese are used in the bleaching or pulping process. Emissions from air and water pollutants. (Source; https://www.popsci.com/environment/books-ereader-sustainability/Fortunately, the paper used in books is often grown sustainably. Books can be reused and paper can also be recycled.
- E-readers are a great way to save trees. However, other natural resources are used to create them. These include lithium, copper, cobalt and cobalt. These are scarce resources that require destructive stripping mining. The energy component is another important aspect. According to the New York Times, the energy component of e-readers manufacturing, along a vast supply chain for consumer electronics, is relatively energy-hungry. It consumes 100 kilowatts per hour of fossil fuels, resulting in 66 lbs of carbon dioxide. A single book, whether it is recycled or not, takes only two kilowatts of energy to dry and form the sheets. It also emits 100 times less greenhouse gases. This does not include electricity to charge electronic devices or to store information for retrieval.
- Gregory A. Keoleian is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at U-Ms School for Environment and Sustainability. He conducts many life-cycle comparisons to determine true environmental costs for products. He estimates that there is a break-even point for books vs. electronic readers at 60 books per annum. You can reduce the literary carbon footprint by borrowing books and e-readers from libraries, buying used books, or donating unwanted items to people who will use them.
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89 WEMU. I would like to welcome you back to another issue of Issues of the Environment. If you’re like me you’d love reading my articles. You might be wondering what that has to do with the environment. It actually has quite a lot. Think about where the paper comes. Many people are now reading a lot online, and using e-readers. This has some consequences. Greg Keoleian is our guest today. Greg Keoleian is director of Sustainable Systems for the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. He spent a lot more time studying the lifecycles of products and their true impacts on the environment. Greg, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.
Greg Keoleian: We look forward to speaking with you about books and electronic readers.
David Fair: To start off on a personal note, would you rather read hardcopy books or would you prefer an e-reader to do the same?
Greg Keoleian: Because I read more scientific journal articles, I am an ereader.
David Fair: Right.
Greg Keoleian: I also have hardcopy books, especially field guides. I always bring the hard copy with me when I go birding.
David Fair: Maybe it’s my generation and age, but e-books were not available to me as an infant. I loved going to the library and looking through everything–touching, smelling and immersing in the experience. That was the kind of experience that gave me tactile satisfaction that I still enjoy today. My children are happy with both types of experiences. However, my grandkids want to experience everything via their iPads and laptops. Do you see this kind of generational trend as you look into these issues?
Greg Keoleian: Yes, definitely. Students are reading a lot with tablets, as opposed to hardcopy textbooks or printed books. My syllabus is also digital.
David Fair: You’d be almost obliged to, wouldn’t it?
Greg Keoleian: Yes.
David Fair: I will admit that when I read for pleasure, I always have a book or magazine that I can hold. It’s almost exclusively online when I read for work. Before we get into the details, is there a clear environmental winner with these kinds of methods?
Greg Keoleian: Both systems have impacts. You pointed out that both systems have their impacts. The electronic equipment is a lot more resource-intensive. It requires a lot of energy, such as mineral extraction, and lithium to make the batteries. Both have their impacts. If you compare one book to one ereader, the ereader will have a greater impact. The question is then, how many times can you use the e-reader. How many books can you download? There will be a point where the e-reader may have an advantage over the printed book.
David Fair: That is likely to be someone who reads a lot.
Greg Keoleian: Correct.
David Fair: The discussion on Issues of Environment continues on 89 One WEMU. We’re talking about the environmental life cycle costs for e-readers and books. Our expert guest is Greg Keoleian. He is the director of Sustainable Systems in the U of M School of Environment and Sustainability. Let’s take a look back at the book process for a second. We all know that paper is made from wood, and you also mentioned the other steps, such as the pulping or bleaching. Most of the trees used in the production of paper for books are sustainably cultivated. We are now beginning to look at the other environmental impacts. But, how do we consider the fossil fuels that are required to make the paper from trees and package it for shipping around the world?
Greg Keoleian: Correct. You’ll need to consider all energy inputs. This will be true for both systems. So, when you think about the e-reader, the most significant impact is your use of electricity to charge the book. While you may have made an initial investment to produce the e-reader; it will then be a matter of where you get your electricity, which will impact the overall footprint.
David Fair: Books can sometimes end up in landfills but less often than magazines and newspapers. However, these items can still be recycled if they are properly disposed.
Greg Keoleian: Correct. What we really want is to extend the shelf life of the book and to share it. That’s what a library is for. Or your local library.
David Fair: Electronic devices are prohibited from being disposed of in landfills for a reason, which would include e-readers. What are the short- and long-term effects of improperly disposing of electronic reading devices?
Greg Keoleian: One of the problems is to recover materials from disposed-of electronic devices. Unfortunately, a lot of this equipment has ended up going to developing nations, which is not well-managed. It’s dangerous work environment, and there are many exposures to harmful chemicals in that process. So we don’t really know how to recycle electronic equipment. This is a serious concern.
David Fair: This is 89 WEMU. The Issues of the Environment conversation that Greg Keoleian has continued continues. Greg is the director of Sustainable Systems at U. Of M’s school of environment and sustainability. Greg, a lot of what we’ve discussed to this point today was some of your older research. I understand that you were continuing this work. What are your thoughts as you move forward?
Greg Keoleian: The other thing I want you to notice is a general trend in digital information. These data centers consume a lot of electricity. They account for just 1% of the world’s energy demand. It’s only two percent in the United States. That is growing. There are obvious benefits to having access to digital information. However, we must also be aware.
David Fair: The more we all read, clearly, the better. As you pointed out, educators want to encourage people to read more. What do you think the future holds for reading?
Greg Keoleian: I will tell you that if you are reading in digital format, an e-reader is going to be more resource-intensive than a tablet. It uses half the energy so it’s a big advantage. You don’t even need a lamp to read the backlit screen. As you stated, I want to encourage reading. I’m an educator so you shouldn’t worry about the differences in these impacts. You should look at other opportunities to reduce your footprint. How do you get to the library? We need to switch to electric vehicles or take public transit. An LED lamp is a great option for reading a book. Another thing you can do is to convert from incandescent lamps to LEDs. You can combine it with shopping. These are great opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint. There are other factors, and costs. There’s the enjoyment, and the pleasure. My niece is a pediatrician. She told me about a University of Michigan study showing that printed books result in better engagement with their toddlers. This is why we need to take a holistic view of the situation. I encourage everyone to continue reading.
David Fair: This is only a small part of the bigger concept of future sustainability. We should consider all that we do and the potential impact it has on the world in which we live.
Greg Keoleian: Exactly. Take a look at the bigger picture. Prioritize where you can make a difference. Each action has an impact. As I said, the books only covered a few of the things you could do. But the larger footprints are in the way we move around our homes. These are the areas where you have the greatest potential to make a positive impact.
David Fair: We will end on a personal note this time. How sustainable are you? What have you done in your home to make sure that the environment is not being damaged?
Greg Keoleian: I personally get to campus. I commute by bike to and from work at the University of Michigan. This bike has been my companion for 20 years.
David Fair: Do you do this in winter?
Greg Keoleian: I do. I try. If it gets really bad, I can take the bus. My wife also drives a plug in hybrid electric vehicle to the botanical garden on the other side. We have already discussed the basics of the house, including insulation and upgrading appliances. But food is another important thing we haven’t touched on. We are very plant-based in our protein intake. You also know that meats leave a larger footprint. These are just a few things you can do to reduce your footprint.
David Fair: Thank you so much for your time and sharing your knowledge.
Greg Keoleian: David, I’m grateful.
David Fair: Greg Keoleian is the man. Greg Keoleian, director of Sustainable Systems in the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability has been our guest on the Issues of the environment. This weekly series is produced with the Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner. You can hear it every Wednesday. I’m David Fair and this is 89 WEMU FM and WEMU HD1 Ypsilanti.
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