Some myths in the paper vs. e-media debate

In a recent publication, "Pixels or Paper?", International Paper wrote:

"Our industry is one of the biggest users of renewable, low-carbon energy in the world.  Sixty percent of the energy used to make paper in the U.S. comes from carbon-neutral renewable resources and is produced on site at mills.  In addition, these facilities use combined heat and power (CHP) generation systems, which are 80-90% efficient.  Fossil fuel use and purchased energy in this industry is steadily decreasing."

"Taking only the servers that power the Internet as a comparison, the electronics industry uses more than 90% fossil fuels purchased off the grid, which are greenhouse gas emitting.  The conventional power-generation systems used are only 45-60% efficient.  And the consumption rate for data centers in the U.S. alone doubled from 2000-2006 and is set to double again in 2010."

E-media may not produce a tangible product, that doesn't make it green.

On the other hand, we at Lester Lithograph are taking steps to reduce our environmental impact and improve our product's sustainability.  Our presses are highly efficient, and we spend a great deal of effort to ensure we use the most efficient press for each job.  We use recycled paper whenever possible and we use vegetable-based inks.  We've even taken steps to reduce our trash and recycle as much as possible.