Half of the rainforests in Central America have been lost in the last fifty years because of the need for wood and arable land. There are organizations that try to reverse this trend like Sustainable Harvest International and the Alliance for International Reforestation. Ripple Africa focuses its efforts on another continent but with the same objective. These organizations form the group of planting partners of Eco-Libris (Ecolibris.net), an effort to have one tree planted for every book printed.
Reading Books and Helping the Forest
Books consume virgin paper that comes directly from forest harvest but the publishing industry also has a carbon footprint due to books’ assembly process. Although the industry is slowly adopting the use of recycled paper, readers can also take action. Eco-Libirs offers them the opportunity to reduce the impact of traditional books on the environment by having trees planted in developed countries; where most forests are located.
Readers can balance their books and receive a sticker with Eco-Libris’ motto on them for each tree planted. The forests are repopulated with appropriate species that conserve the biodiversity of the region and provide several benefits for the environment. Some of them are: reduction of soil erosion, protection of water resources, and protection against natural disasters such as floods.
Publishing Books and Helping the Forest Too
Eco-Libris makes public the actions taken by the publishing industry to reduce its ecological impact: not only is it transitioning to recycled paper but is also increasing the amount of paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This ensures that books will not contribute to the loss of biodiversity and will conserve the forests’ ecosystems. Moreover, policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been set by the Book Industry Environmental Council: by 2050 they intend to reduce emissions by 80%.
Publishers have also partnered with Eco-Libris, having trees planted for whole series of books, using FSC certified paper and encouraging readers to balance books. Bookstores, as well, allow for readers to balance every purchase and receive the Eco-Libris sticker. Online retailers are collaborating too; even authors have programs available to green out their titles.
According to Eco-Libris, the area of forest has been reduced by eighteen million acres from 1990 to 2005; such trend is unsustainable. Both the industry and the readers are conscious of this and there are many opportunities to make responsible use of natural resources. Efficient use of paper at all levels is a huge step that diminishes the need for wood, one of the major reasons for deforestation. In the wait for the adoption of recycled books and e-readers there is much that can be done.
Pablo Rasilla - He is currently an undergraduate in Computer Engineering at the State University of Uruguay. Besides, he has studied English for more than ...
