Digital technologies and paper consumption

Interestingly, worldwide consumption of paper increases every year, despite of the fact that digital technologies win share in our everyday activities.

The fundamental reason for it is that people do not trust silicon and do trust paper. In most offices, most of the information is duplicated on paper and digitally. I have seen people that print out all their e-mails. Even more people print out all documents they are working with. People do not think that paper is done from the trees, the lungs of Earth. Some people are aware, but argue their position by the fact that paper is one of the best recycled material used nowadays. This is true, but imagine, if there would be no reason to make that much paper as it is manufactured today? We would save forests.

Many will say me that deforesting occurs also because selling wood is a good way for people in develping countries to survive. But demand decides everything. Deforesting will take place while demand for the paper persists. Actually, helping foresting industry in those countries to decline, you will only help those people that depend on it. Because those countries will search for other source of income rather than just using the nature resources. Resources are scarce, and shrinking forests is a threat to wild nature. People can survive by moving to another place, to another industry. Wild plants and animals can only extinct if their habitat is lost.

I beg people to think before they hit "Print" button, do you really need it to be printed? Use double-side printing if your printers allow. Increase margins in your word procesing application. Read news on the Internet instead of buying a newspaper. Recycle your stuff, and start with paper, because it is the easiest first step you can make to save the Planet. Use digital technologies as a replacement to your paper works, not as an addition to it!