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Friday 9 March 2007

Is the Internet sustainable?


The more successful the author the more trees that are felled, the more paper produced, the more books delivered - the more the environmental damaging potential? So is the internet the most sustainable tool for publishing and other areas of media?

At times in the world of work it would seem that some senior execs. still have to get the handle of how e-mails are supposed to work - i.e. their PAs print out their e-mails onto paper for them to read at their desks... On the other hand of late I have noticed an increased trend in companies' sign-off text in their e-mails asking readers to only print out this message if really necessary.

The other night on Radio 4 in the programme "Click On" during the explanation about data centres and about the requirement of large, secure power sources to supply the likes of Microsoft, Google etc. and the buildings and resources to house these networks and servers I began to think again about the above ideas...

So what's the more sustainable media form... your answers please... but not on a postcard!

(To listen to the show click here: "Click On Re-run"and select Listen to the latest edition - the item's about 15 minutes through.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe that electronic communcation when it fulfills its potential will of course be the ultimate more sustainable format but we've still got a long way to go yet!

Anonymous said...

I think both have a place in our lives. Beach holidays and book reading go hand in hand and there is nothing worse than being sat in the seat behind the kid who bounces around in his seat playing Ultimate Fighter on his PSP. What's wrong with reading Harry Potter??!
But then again, hands up who would be lost without Google? I know I would.