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At first glance, it is hard to imagine a piece of electronics to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than something we have been using for centuries - books.  Right off the bat, the Amazon Kindle is not better than books, but under the right conditions, these eBook readers by Amazon are better for the environment than traditional print media. 

A study conducted by Cleantech Group has been searching for the answers about the Kindle.  At production, the Kindle produces 168 kilograms of carbon dioxide, while books simply produce 7.46 kilograms.  In addition, it is important to consider that these devices require electricity to run which is why the carbon dioxide production is increased. 

Now, let’s say the Kindle you brought replaces purchasing three books a month for four years.  Doing that would save 1,074 kilograms from being released into the environment.  Let’s say you are using the Kindle DX to the “fullest capacity,” then you would be saving 26,098 kilograms of carbon dioxide gas.  Just to break even, users would have to replace buying 22.5 books during the gadget’s lifetime. 

It looks like colleges are beginning to understand the potential with eBook readers as six colleges are already making textbooks available for the Kindle.  Something that saves trees and prevents students from lugging around heavy textbooks.  One thing remains clear, if the Kindle can help replace the amount of books you buy, it will certainly help the environment in the long run. 

Another problem Amazon has to consider is recycling the device and its battery components.  Fortunately, they have devised a recycling center for the gadget and a way to mail in used batteries. 

Read [Cnet]