Here's what an e-reader is. A battery operated slab, about…
““Here's what an e-reader is. A battery operated slab, about a pound, one half-inch thick, perhaps an aluminum border, rubberized back, plastic, metal, silicon, a bit of gold, plus rare metals such as columbite-tantalite (Google it) ripped from the earth, often in war-torn Africa. To make one e-reader requires 33 pounds of minerals, plus 79 gallons of water to produce the battery and printed writing and refine the minerals. The production of other e-reading devices such as cell phones, iPads and whatever new gizmo will pop up (and down) in the years ahead is similar. "The adverse health impacts from making one e-reader are estimated to be 70 times greater than those for making a single book," says the Times. Then you figure that the one hundred million e-readers will be outmoded in short order--to be replaced by one hundred million new and improved devices in the years ahead that will likewise be replace by new models ad infinitum, and you realize an environmental disaster is at hand.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
E‑readers have high environmental costs, from rare minerals to water usage, leading to ecological concerns.
In simple terms: E‑readers cause significant environmental impact.
Key Takeaway
Consider sustainable tech choices.
Themes
environment
technology
resource use
ethics
consumption
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
analysis
environmental
When to use this quote
- product purchasing
- environmental advocacy
- resource management
Key Concepts
sustainability
life‑cycle analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we reduce e‑reader impact?
- What alternatives exist?
A Different Perspective
May ignore benefits of digital reading.