I care about the environment and the depletion of the forests is one thing that worries me the most. Forests and woods are the lungs of the earth and already their destruction is costing the planet. Imagine what would happen if the world’s trees were to vanish completely, we would be poisoned by our own air, doesn’t really bear thinking about does it.
How Can I Do My Bit?
My concerns over the forests have caused me to think a lot about the products I use in my own home. I am a reader; I love information, fiction and being entertained through words. In my house I probably have a whole small wood in books and it’s something I feel somewhat guilty about. I don’t just see paper, I see gorgeous woods that once were and it breaks my heart. As you can imagine I recycle like crazy and source paper products that come from sustainable areas but it’s still not enough.
That’s why I switched to e-readers. I no longer buy traditional books; my new collection that I’ve been building for about 9 months now is completely digital. The fact that paper is no longer being sourced to produce the books I buy makes me feel good about myself and I feel I am doing my small bit to try and save a few trees. It’s wonderful to know that eBooks and e-Readers have really taken off in the public too, I am sure it’s making a difference somehow.
What I Don’t Love About E-Readers
While I know I am doing some good to the planet there are something’s about digital books that I don’t like. The main thing is the feel of the digital book. It’s hard and plastic as opposed to flexible and comforting in the hand. Paper books always feel wonderful, they have a great smell and I love the texture of the paper and the way they sit in my hand. I miss that feel of a real book, but it’s not enough to make me give up reading on a gadget. I know many people feel the same, and some are not using the technology simply because they hate the idea of saying goodbye to traditional books. It’s a fair point, but when you think of the paper that’s being saved and the preservation of the world it’s a very small price to pay in my opinion.
Big Changes in the Way we Read Digital Books are Coming
I have heard that ePaper is on its way anyway and this may help to convert all those old school readers to the technology that’s available. I think it would be fantastic to have a more natural feeling book in my hand even though it’s still a screen. These screens will be able to bend and flex and I am wondering what that will feel like as I curl up in my armchair to read each evening. The ePaper is something I am very interested to find out more about and who knows one day we may never need to create books out of trees again, that would be incredible.
I am not telling people never to use paper, just to think about where it comes from and how to stop the destruction of forests. The move to digital books and using e-readers will help to make a difference, just like choosing recycled writing paper and toilet roll does. If the technology is there and improving all the time I think it’s a good time to start embracing it and using it as a way of saving our natural resources for generations to come.
Carolina Green blogs about technology covering everything from the latest smart phone developments to flexible display technology. When she’s not online Carolina likes to swim, surf and travel the world.