We love green technology, and we are excited to see that Amazon.com will be releasing a new version of The Kindle: Kindle DX. The Kindle DX has the same technology as the original Kindle (which is still sold) but has a display 2.5 times (9.7″ screen) the size of the original (6 inch screen). For more information on the original Kindle, please see our article: Switch to eBooks.

Amazon.com decided to develop this version to encourage even more people to go paperless. The larger display allows for PDFs, cookbooks, and other large formatted books to be read without a break in the visual display, so they can be read the way they were intended to be. With a PDF reader, and the original Kindle technology, the possibilities are endless for what can be viewed. Amazon.com also claims that the larger display provides a clearer brighter image, and days of viewing time in between charges. The Kindle DX can even hold 2,000 more books than the original with capacity for 3,500 books. At a price of $489 you can pre-order the Kindle DX at Amazon.com. The original is sold for $359 at Amazon.com.

For someone who reads book after book throughout the year, a lot of money is spent on purchasing paper. Although a high cost up front, the long term investment seems rewarding!

Reading green is important, and the reason why is obvious: paper, paper, paper, and the processes needed to make paper and ink.

We have three great solutions for you:

1) Read used books. Borrow from a friend, go to a used book store, or shop for used books at Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. If shopping on-line, buy in bulk and save on packaging and gas!

2) Join the Read Green Initiative and read your favorite magazines on-line. With the help of Zinio (free to use), you can get a free subscription to one of your favorite magazines, and affordable access to many more! Zinio keeps the magazines in your library so you can access them whenever you want. No trees needed here. Read your favorite magazines digitally!

3) Switch to ebooks. Read our article Switch to eBooks about the Kindle

and how reading ebooks will save on more than just paper, but also electricity.

Don’t know what to do with all of your old books? Go to GotBooks.com to donate your books for great causes! Schedule a free-pick up or find the closest drop-off location in your community.

Books have always been an essential resource through the ages, from papyrus to recycled paper. Today’s modern technologies offer electronic books called eBooks. The good thing about these books is that there’s no paper involved. However, the question raises on whether or not reading these books, or newspapers, or magazines  from electronic devices would, in fact, consume more energy than manufacturing an actual book. Fat Knowledge’s comparison shows that “reading the physical version of the NY Times for a year uses 7,300 MJ of energy and emits 700 kg of CO2.” Reading the electronic version of the NY Times for a year using electronic devices such as Amazon’s Kindle “uses 100 MJ of energy and emits 10 kg of CO2.” That creates a saving of 7,200 MJ of energy and 690 kg of CO2. eBooks are also cheaper than their physical counterpart.

You could also read eBooks on your computer. However, depending on the amount of time you spend reading, you might be better off buying the book. For example, if more than 30 minutes is spent reading the news every day, a computer will use more energy and emit more CO2 than a physical newspaper. This all depends on what kind of computer you have. Desktops tend to use more energy than laptops, as do larger screens to smaller.

Anyone willing to invest $359 on a reading device? Maybe it is time to start saving up.

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