Like anyone who is trying to live green, I have a problem with the speed with which the rain forests and every other forest on the planet for that matter are being cut down. One of the reasons of course that so many trees are being cut down in addition to the fact that humanity is expanding at an exponential rate, is our need for paper products, and one of those paper products are books.
I freely admit that I am a book junkie, and I have more paperbacks in my house than any one woman should own in a lifetime. The fact is I adore reading, and am a voracious reader, but this sometimes clashes with my concerns about the numbers of trees being cut down to provide me with my favorite vice.
One of the things that I have started doing in order to help preserve the environment when it comes to my book fetish is that I'm buying ebooks instead of paperbacks.
Like most people when I first heard of e-books I sort of turned my nose up at them, I mean who wants to sit at a computer and read? Not to mention the eyestrain from staring at a computer screen too long, and not being able to take an e-book with you anywhere.
So for some time I steered clear of e-books. That is until I started reviewing and found that most of the books I was given to review were e-books. I discovered that there were some very well written e-books out there, and also discovered that I preferred many of the e-book authors I was reading over many of the authors who were published in paperback.
However, I still had the problem of portability, I couldn't take my e-books with me when I left the house, and I wasn't willing to spend the $200-$500 necessary to get an e-book reader. That is until I purchased a used pocket PC for $65 off of eBay.
With a little research I discovered that pocket PCs can be used as e-book readers, and the other nice thing about them is that they require far less electricity to run than a computer does. So, now I have come full circle because I'm saving a few trees by not buying so many paperbacks, as well as room in my house since I can save my e-books on my computer, and I'm not using as much electricity because I'm reading ebooks on my pocket PC instead of my computer, and now I can take my ebooks with me anywhere!
Another way that I'm trying to live green when it comes to my reading vice is that when I do purchase paperbacks, I'm buying them second hand. I only occasionally purchase paperbacks new now, and only if they are by a favorite author. By purchasing used, I figure I'm participating in recycling and preventing a book from eventually winding up in a landfill.
These are only two options for helping to save some of our forests from winding up as paper and then eventually as trash, I also visit the library quite often and borrow books which is another great way to live green.
The more we find ways to conserve energy and recycle when it comes to our demand for more books, and paper, the better our chances are of not only living a more green lifestyle, but of helping to preserve the living resources we have in our forests.
1 Comments
Leave a comment
- Not Your Average Green Bean Casserole: Try These Interesting Recipe Variations
- How To Receive Faxes Online (...Plus Other Free Business Services)
- RV Christmas Decorating Tips
- Building Or Remodeling A Kitchen: What Does It Cost?
- Going Off-Road? Be Prepared, Use These Offroad Checklists
- 9 Easy Tips For Planning A Dog Birthday Party
- 5 Ways To Make Money Scrapbooking Or Stamping
- How To Remain A Triathlete Over The Long Haul
- Lightning Strikes: How To Stay Safe During An Electrical Storm
- Lincoln Memorial Pennies Valued From 1 Cent To $50,000 And Up
The thing about books is that you need a steady supply.I figure it's like water -- it never makes sense to say you have too much water at your house, does it, when it just has to flow through steadily and be available at all times?
I've wondered about electronic readers, but there is the cost, and I also wonder about the aesthetic experience. I mean, does it feel the same to read your ebook under a tree on a balmy summer evening? And what about reading in the bathtub or on a boat? I hope you'll write more about the experience in the future.
In the meantime, there are some helps with getting the books to flow through the house instead of pooling or flooding:
Booksfree.com rents out books the way Netflix rents out movies. Frugalreader.com is a book exchange -- like swapping with your friends, but you can give your John Grishams to someone and get someone else's Bill Brysons, instead of waiting for a fellow fan who has a different set of books from yours to swap.