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See the original image at latimesblogs.latimes.com

Service allows you to offset environmental impact of books

latimesblogs.latimes.com — If you collect books, you've probably noticed that they're made of paper, and that paper comes from trees. Raz Godelnik noticed -- he thinks green (not Irish, eco-ish) -- and he wanted to balance his books with new trees. So he started the website Eco-Libris; there, anyone can donate money to plant trees to offset book purchases.

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  • americangoy, on 03/18/2008, -8/+6Cool man congratulations!
    • infinitus64, on 03/18/2008, -0/+6not a good idea according to this scientist so the plan should be changed to
      subsidize people who have controll of the rainforest so they do not have to cut them down
      http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/mar/01/ ...
    • liquidpele, on 03/18/2008, -3/+1My question is, where do the plant the trees? In locations where they just cut them all down? Or in places where they will be cleared for a McDonalds in 3 years?
  • madmondo, on 03/18/2008, -11/+5Well done as I always say, "We Can All Do Are Small Part To Help"
    • naterpoke, on 03/19/2008, -3/+3yeah because you needlessly going out of the way, and these stupid comapnies that spend more in hopes of getting government kickbacks which the govt aka us CANT ***** AFFORD
    • Rha7dotCom, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3We can all do ??ARE?? small ....
      I think you meant OUR.
      Buy a book on grammatic and remember to donate.
      • nutsackorama, on 03/19/2008, -1/+0I'd like a book on "grammatic", too.
    • Xenufield, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3I'd say you need to lay off the drugs and get your ass back to school.
  • akira07, on 03/18/2008, -13/+5Let's plant some tree....!!!! If not, in 100years later there is will not book
    • Flummoxer, on 03/18/2008, -3/+5Nice.
    • JonTheGoose, on 03/18/2008, -1/+3I think.......what you mean to say, is that if we don't plant any trees then there won't be any books in 100 years.
    • H0tKarl, on 03/18/2008, -2/+7You may want to consider picking up a book.
      • Rheic, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1Oh yeah, people who don't speak English as well as you are so stupid. I've spoken English since I was 2! Catch up foreigners!

        /sarcasm
        • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2This is a written medium. Body language isn't available so grammar is premium. If I were speaking to someone who didn't speak english, I could use hand signals, body language, maps, objects, etc.. to get my point across. If you can't write in English, you can't expect those who can write and read in English to want to try to understand you.
          • Rheic, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1I was referring to the fact that 'H0tKarl' seems to assume this guy is stupid just because he doesn't speak his language so well.
    • Zlorp, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4You wouldn't happen to be the Dell tech that I talked to on the phone the other day would you?
      • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -4/+1Nice. Way to be racist (even if you didn't intend to be).
        • Zlorp, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3i dont think my statement could actually be labeled as racist, lack of english speaking skills isnt specific to a certain race, and neither is dell tech support.

          being racist would be if i asked him if he lived in india and did tech support.

          but i could see why a libtard would try to turn it into a racist statement.
        • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Racist? How? Where is the mention of race? I see a joke at the expense of someone who is unable to clearly communicate in english and chose to post on an english-speaking website. I would expect German-Speaking people to treat me the same way on their message boards if I clumsily tried to get a point across in their language.
  • amiecn, on 03/18/2008, -6/+5yes!

    I love it when good things happen to good people :)

    excellent article as well - thank you sending it my way...
    • Xenufield, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Good people? Why, because he's suckering a bunch of hippies into giving him money so he can cash in on the 'green' movement like carbon creditors have been doing?
  • dp0fss, on 03/18/2008, -7/+4This is such a great program
  • luckytalisman, on 03/18/2008, -10/+5Hey I have an idea: let's add a mandatory eco tax to books that goes toward planting trees to replenish what the book consumed. Damn, let's do that with everything.
    • BigManOnCampus, on 03/18/2008, -2/+4Students will love it!! Especially considering how much thicker textbooks are getting lately.
  • philodygmn, on 03/18/2008, -3/+20Hemp paper, hello? Growing it would _help_ the environment -- no offset needed!
    • Kallahan, on 03/19/2008, -0/+9And growing it is what we have been doing for the past 80+ years, something like 95% of all paper is grown from trees specifically for that purpose as only certain trees will make quality paper.
    • pdangelo22, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1plus, the availability of weed would skyrocket!
      • MWeather, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1No, it would plummet due to cross-pollination.
  • eyloni, on 03/18/2008, -2/+6Hemp, Bamboo, recycled trash fiber... whatever solution comes up and get to the scale where they are cost effective and widely used -- great! But in the meantime planting trees can do good as well.
  • doctechnical, on 03/18/2008, -6/+59Utter rubbish. The trees used to make paper were planted for that very purpose. This makes as much sense as paying someone to plant more potatoes every time you eat french-fries.
    If you're dying for something to worry about, look into how much pollution comes from fabricating ebook readers that will be obsolete in a few years.
    • eyloni, on 03/18/2008, -13/+5That's total misconception. Check your facts. A lot of paper used in the USA and Europe actually comes from places like China, where it is manufactured from old growth trees from Indonesian rainforests.

      Some sources:
      http://greenpressinitiative.org/
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5greenpressinitiative?

        That source can't possibly have a bias.
        • MWeather, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Yeah, the US importing stuff from China? And China being less-then ecological? Obviously the musings of a madman.
  • BigManOnCampus, on 03/18/2008, -2/+13Does this money really make it into the hands of the lumberjacks who maintain forests?
    • eyloni, on 03/18/2008, -3/+3Money makes it to the hands of three non profit organizations that work with local communities to plant and maintain the trees. No lumberjacks are involved I'm afraid ;)
      http://www.ecolibris.net/partners.asp
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/18/2008, -2/+3Ah.... odd since the most room to plant trees is in the wilderness, not in communities of homes.
      • bosssmiley, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Ah, so it's another revenue stream for greenies then.
  • JordanTW90, on 03/18/2008, -0/+11Do I need to send in a donation for a book about Global Warming?
  • aaoral, on 03/18/2008, -5/+2I wonder if we could extend this to magazenes and cardboard boxes as well? Also bibles, well maby we should just tax people for buying bibles. Or stop selling them altogeather. Yeah now that would be sweet.
  • Motif31G, on 03/18/2008, -2/+2lettuce is green
  • chriskzoo, on 03/18/2008, -2/+9This is a joke, right? What are these, paper credits?
  • CrimsonBlur, on 03/18/2008, -2/+16As doctechnical says above, forests are not cut down to make paper, especially printing paper. Paper comes from tree farms specifically grown for making certain types of paper. I'm sure some cheap papers are made from the leftover from lumber mills, but no one is, say, cutting down rain forest land to make paper.
    • MWeather, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1So what you're saying is that those trees are replanted anyway, and this doesn't offset lost trees, it actually increases the number of trees.

      That's false advertising!
  • THUORN, on 03/18/2008, -4/+25Most people are unaware that we currently have tree farms in America. Many people are also misled to believe that are a scarcity of trees. The truth of the matter is that we have more trees in our country today than we had in the 1940’s. This is due to many Americans who are taking advantage of the opportunity of tree farming. Just as we grow potatoes in order to make food products such as French fries, we grow trees in order to make paper. Today, most paper products produced; come from trees grown on tree farms that are designed specifically for that purpose. The virgin pulp from these trees is used to produce most of the paper products. This brings up the controversial topic of recycling. Many people think that it would be easier and more ecological to recycle paper than to grow trees for the purpose of paper production. Theoretically, they may be correct. Though this would only work in a hypothetical situation if the users of paper products lived right next to a recycling plant and if the recycling plant did not produce air pollution through its manufacturing processes. That’s right, recycling paper not only costs more than growing trees on farms, it pollutes the air with the manufacturing processes as well as the multiple delivery trucks that are necessary to transport the used paper products.
    • BOFH2, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3http://www.potlatchcorp.com/ResourceManagement.asp ...
    • ricksite, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4I am not a big fan of recycling because I don't know for sure that there is a net gain. I think a better plan is to reduce consumption in the first place (less junk mail, printing, packaging, etc...). I get the feeling some people use paper so they can feel the joy of recycling.
      • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2@ricksite: "I get the feeling some people use paper so they can feel the joy of recycling."

        Whaaaa....?
    • hubbard67, on 03/19/2008, -2/+4the trees from the farms also help produce oxygen and clean the air, which much preferred over the CO2 that the recycling plants emit
      ricksite is definitely right though, the absolute best thing to do is to lower consumption
    • potifar, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Soo... what do we do with all the left-over paper?
  • Gotno, on 03/18/2008, -1/+6How about buying used books? Not trendy enough for the masses?
    • ralphie81, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1Or we could all go out and buy Kindles. Good for the environment, good for the economy! It's a win-win.
      • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6Now all of a sudden electronic media devices are "Good for the environment"??
        And how quickly do you think a Kindle will become obsolete versus a paper book is going to be?
        • ralphie81, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Well as long as we are saving trees!!!!!

          Clearly, my assertion was ridiculous and absurd...just like donating money to "offset" all the trees we've killed with our nasty book addictions.
  • CaviMike, on 03/18/2008, -3/+2Only if he plants them in my backyard. I'm really tired of the neighbors watching me.
  • naterpoke, on 03/18/2008, -5/+24THESE PAPER TREES COME FROM TREE FARMS THAT PLANT TREES TO CUT DOWN IN ORDER TO PRODUCE PAPER, SO PLEASE SHUT THE ***** UP ABOUT OFFSETTING U ***** HIPPYS
    • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -4/+2@naterpoke, please read the comment by @eyloni directly below yours to see why you are ***** ignorant, close-minded dick. Please come back after you reach puberty, and figure out how to turn off the CAPS LOCK keys.

      Signed, someone who apparently is a ***** hippy (but without the drugs, or the long hair, yet has advanced degrees)
      • fabiosir, on 03/19/2008, -2/+3You're an idiot.
        • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1fabiosir... well, can't argue with all those facts and evidence you just presented.
          Valuable contribution from you.
  • eyloni, on 03/19/2008, -11/+3Some people here mention tree farms, but they are incorrect in assuming that tree farms are sustainable, or in the fact that paper used for books is made from trees harvested on tree farms:

    1. Most Tree farms are not sustainable. There is a good organization called The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Most tree farms DO NOT participate in their programs. Only paper that is FSC certified can be somehow termed sustainable. Unfortunately most paper used for books in the US, and in the world these days, is not FSC certified.

    2. Paper used for books in the US do not come from the US. In many cases it comes from china, and is made from Indonesian rainforest pillage.

    http://www.greenpressinitiative.org/
    • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -2/+3People digg @eyloni down, even though he presents *documented* facts and truth?
      Wow, republicans listen to waaaay too much Limbaugh and O'Reilly.
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2his only source is an organization that wants to "stop climate change" by getting people to stop cutting down trees for paper. That sounds ridiculously biased to me. I would say that Diggers are showing surprising clarity of thought in digging down a clearly biased opinion.
        • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Bias should not stop anyone from recognizing facts.
        • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Indeed, so I'm waiting for you to acknowledge that forests aren't disappearing en-masse.
        • naterpoke, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1the fact is you dont want to consider both sides of the arguement, in typical liberal fashion might i add.
      • naterpoke, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1seriously you're a complete ***** moron
    • doctechnical, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2"There is a good organization called The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)."
      I've just created a good organizatization called "Take an Axehandle to a Hippy's Colon", or TAHC. What makes my organization any better or any worse than FSC? Aside from the letterhead.
      Note: letterhead submissions for TAHC would be appreciated.
  • rtphokie, on 03/19/2008, -1/+13this green guilt is getting out of control
  • mparker7410, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2I offset by using the pages I've already read to wipe my ace.
    • ricksite, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I actually sat next to a guy on a plane who owned a company that recycled office paper into toilet paper.
      • mparker7410, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I'll be impressed when you sit next to a guy who does the reverse!
    • doctechnical, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1What do you use to wipe your deuce?
  • Goldbricker, on 03/19/2008, -3/+12You're all ***** retards. You know the best way to get more trees planted and ensure that there are plenty of trees for the future? Buy as much paper as you can. The more economic incentive there is the more companies will plant. I really can't believe some of you want to add an additional fee onto a paper purchase to do what the companies are doing already. Some of you need to get out more and evolve from your simplistic cutting down trees=bad mentality.
    • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -5/+1And we'll get cheaper gas if we all use more! Seriously, I just know it!
      So use more!! Drive people, DRIVE!!!!!!!!
      • Goldbricker, on 03/19/2008, -0/+4You know what the difference is between trees and oil? Trees are a renewable resource. If you could plant oil in the ground and have it grow into usable fuel in two or three decades then I'm sure the oil companies would be all over it.
        • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1I was pointing out the HUGE flaw in his logic that the MARKET (not trees, not renewables) would cause the companies to stop cutting down old growth and rain forests. Would have thought that would have been obvious to most people who recognize logic.

          (and gas *can* be partially renewable btw... ethanol anyone?)
          • Goldbricker, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2You're wrong. Accept it. Consumption can motivate producers to plant trees. It's happening as we're typing back and forth. Ethanol is a poor example of a renewable resource because there could never be enough acreage to provide for our needs. There is plenty of acreage to provide for our paper needs.
          • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Do You ever think clearly, haydesigner? Are you a communist?
            If the market forces that you are proposing worked in reality, then people who planted wheat would simply purchase land, harvest, and then sell a large dirt lot back to someone else. That is ridiculous. Of course, you point to the example of ethanol. That's funny, because Ethanol is fermented from fields of grain or cane sugar that are planted for that very purpose. And yet you seem to disbelieve that anyone would deliberately plant something to harvest it later. You seem to think that that market force doesn't exist.

            You are wrong.
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2That's right, because oil grows on trees and cleans the air when you use it! Your world is clearly upside-down.
  • pogfreak, on 03/19/2008, -3/+3Let the feel good hippy masturbation session begin!
  • Woofcat, on 03/19/2008, -1/+9This does not make sense. When you use Lumber or Paper they plant more trees as its a commodity. When you use paper you are basically ordering more trees. I don't understand this. No-one clear cuts with out re-planting anymore as its both bad PR and a bad idea on the cost of land.

    Who would buy land cut down all the trees and do nothing with it? They replant.
    • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -3/+1You obviously know nothing about the paper industry in the slightest.
      • klpowell, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2No you obviously don't if they cut down the trees without replanting they would have nothing to harvest down the road. They don't replant to save the enviroment they replant to save their business either way they still replant.
        • eyloni, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2You are assuming that the paper used for American books comes from American mills. Nope. A lot of it comes from rainforest plunder.
          • fabiosir, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2You're an idiot. Rainforest plunder? Plunder these nuts.
          • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1fabiosir... well, can't argue with all those facts and evidence you just presented.
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Oh, and I'm sure a bunch of people who read eco-blogs all day to appease their guilt have a firm grasp of what goes on in America's forestland, and what the businessmen of America do each day.
        • haydesigner, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1...?
          And that makes what I said wrong... how, exactly?
  • nextbigthang, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1wait...what's paper?
  • hubbard67, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3or you could just buy the books that say "made with forest-friendly paper" on the back and save yourself the time, money, and the guilt.
    Better yet, try the used book store.
    • doctechnical, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Free-range paper is evil. Remember that.
  • SEANWOOKIE, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Why not just digitize all books?
    • whisperedlie, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1what happens if we (permanently) lose power? emp? natural disaster?
      • BigManOnCampus, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Better work on your memory skills. I'll be calling you for wikipedia information.
  • eyloni, on 03/19/2008, -3/+1There are many ways to take action on the paper used for books - Libraries, buying books made with forest friendly or recycled paper, buying used books, using e-books, borrowing a book from a friend or via bookmooch.com... and planting trees with Eco-Libris. Pick one, any one.
  • Mrdudeperson, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3Yet more crap from them tree huggin' hippies. *sigh*
  • klpowell, on 03/19/2008, -1/+8Another case of people making a buck off the global warming FUD... Trees are renewable resources EVERY time a logging company chops down one tree they plant atleast two others in its place that is the only way they stay in business thus paper is not actually hurting the enviroment.
  • snozebtn, on 03/19/2008, -1/+5Are you people serious??? this is not a great idea, I buy a book, then fell guilty, then give this guy money to plant a tree that in no way is going to be used to make more books....this is a joke, just like carbon offsetting....all you eco-friendly people need to realize that once a tree dies (or is cut down), all the carbon dioxide and green house gases that is collected over its life is then put back into the environment (not really fixing the issue, just postponing the inevitable)
  • dawgfrommsu, on 03/19/2008, -1/+6Not using paper to save trees is like not eating corn flakes to save the Iowa corn fields.
  • FLMarijuana, on 03/19/2008, -0/+0Hemp paper far surpasses tree paper.
  • buddamus, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I download my books
  • griz, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2Anyone want to buy some Digg Offsets?
  • zbeast, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3I burn my used books to save oil...
  • Xenufield, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3Funny, I thought the giant fields of trees that paper and lumber companies plant (for future use) after clearing areas would already do this.

    Not that I'm going to stop someone from starting yet another 'green' scam. Carbon credits/offsets are the best scam in decades.
  • Deathrideshorse, on 03/19/2008, -3/+0Petition:

    We, the undersigned, call on the Governments of the world to use some common sense when distributing Energy subsidies.



    Why must the taxpayer subsidise the largest cause of man-made Global Warming(Fossil Fuel electricity generation) whilst alternative energy solutions such as Solar Thermal are forced to struggle?



    Why must the consumer be asked to pay extra for "Green" Energy when his/her taxes are subsidising the very antithesis?



    We, the undersigned, are not impressed with such hypocrisy.



    http://www.gopetition.com/online/17583.html



    *pass it on!*
  • kushin, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2coming up next - 1 tree for every 10 print buttons on the web.
  • psychononame, on 03/19/2008, -2/+2This is just ridiculous. This Eco-Libris is obviously just exploiting the masses desire to help the environment.

    It's a for-profit company. Meaning that instead of your donation going in whole to plant trees they're skimming off the top. All that you'd be getting is a promise and a pretentious sticker made from recycle--which is un-environmentalist in itself. Recycled paper is the worst waste of energy.. on top of the initial use of energy to create the paper is the energy used to make it reusable. It's a largely unmarketable product, as well. Paper is relatively fast in the biodegrading process and the trees planted in tree farming--even if it's just temporary trees--help combat carbon emissions.

    If you really want to help donate to its partners [or other tree planting groups] DIRECTLY, rather than going through a third party. Really we should be supporting legislation that bans the use of old-growth trees in paper production and gives tax breaks to tree farms.
  • dsa202, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1Books blow.
  • louiebaur, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1This looks like a good program to me
  • TheMinimalist, on 03/19/2008, -1/+0As much as I love books, ( I was a librarian for nine years) I think that the idea of keeping everything you have read is a way to convince yourself or others that you are well read. The best thing to do with books in my opinion is to pass them on to others to read, not leave them on a shelf. Here in Portland, we have Powells books that re-buys books. I'm just saying,,,,
  • Kwiter, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3Paper can be made fro Hemp....Yeah you know that Weed that will grow if given half a chance and little to no pesticides involved.
    Declaration of Independence was written on it, used to be a law that farmers HAD to grow it on a percentage of their fields.
    Demonized plant courtesy of Chemical and Pharmaceutical companies! Hell you can even make Biofuels from Hemp oil!
  • partrow, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Since when did cutting down pulp trees become "bad"? These are crop trees, grown specifically to be converted to paper, and are a renewable resource, just like barley or alfalfa.
  • Treoinmypocket, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2I love these offset scams - there so brilliant and the populace so gullible.
    • MWeather, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I know. I only by food from farmers who promise not to plant more. Damn scammers are hard to avoid, though. I'm so hungry :(
  • skiddles, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2I am selling carbon offsets for $10. I will use the money for carbon sequestration. That is I will by books and keep them on my bookshelf.
    Please send money to my paypal account.
  • pjr12345, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I'm considering my own off-set project. I will promise to inhale each time you exhale, thereby offsetting your personal CO2 emissions... and it'll only cost you 25 cents per breath!

    How many of you care enough to reduce your carbon footprint? Your killing the planet!
  • ecobites, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1I am with you Gottno - buying used books is the first way to go!
    Check out our recycled food article at www.ecobites.com
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