It's hard to actually imagine how massive the paper industry is; its impact on the environment, the carbon emissions, the waste, the trees used. But I like paper. I specifically like words, which make me part of my living and, as far as I'm concerned, make the world a much better place.

So I really really like words that don't have any paper. Like EcoGeek and Treehugger and NYTimes.com. But, with a great deal of respect to our physical forefathers, papers made of paper need to stop existing. Not 100% of them, and especially not the dedicated people who make them. Just the paper needs to go, not the words.

So please pardon me while I report the following story with a disrespectful amount of happiness: Circulation Plunges at Major Newspapers. An audit of 770 major newspapers has shown that circulation has dropped about three percent in the last six months, and much more than that in large coastal areas where more people are finding their news online.

While that's 3% less revenue for people who are much more talented and dedicated to their noble profession than I, it is also 3% fewer trees harvested, 3% fewer miles driven, 3% fewer loads taken, and 3% less pollution from paper mills. 

I sincerely hope that the newspaper industry manages to revolutionize itself without a dangerous crash. But they will absolutely be required to use less paper, and for that I am thankful.

 

Via The New York Times