We’ve all been warned about leaving a so-called “carbon footprint” on our careworn planet, and how that footprint swells along with habits like driving behemoth SUVs, squandering resources like water and electricity, and tossing recyclable materials in the trash. But who knew books and CDs were on the list of no-nos?
Although no tree-hugging Earth lover would speak out against the evils of reading books and listening to music on CDs, according to Mark Hexamer, a representative from Swaptree.com – a trading Web site for books, CDs and video games – recent studies have estimated that every book contributes 8.85 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, while every CD or DVD contributes 2.2 pounds.
According to their site, 100,000 pounds of CDs and DVDs (and their nasty chemicals) are deposited in U.S. landfills every month, while the book industry chops down in excess of 19 million trees yearly.
To ease the harm to Mother Earth, companies like Swaptree.com have been doing their part. Anyone can create a user profile on this Web site. Each user enters the UPC code of books, CDs, DVDs or video games he or she would like to trade and establishes a virtual stockpile of items to trade. The site allows users to search for titles and enables them to trade their unwanted media with others and receive something they’d prefer in return.
So if you can’t plant a tree for Earth Day today, share some of your stuff instead.
The service is not only free, but Earth friendly: it eases strain on the environment by decreasing the demand for the creation of new media materials, therefore shrinking the aforementioned footprint.
This Tuesday is Earth Day, the 24-hour period during which we all take time to thank Mother Nature for her generous gifts. This year, Swaptree.com is joining the celebration by donating $1 to the Sierra Club for every trade made on its site on Earth Day.
The Sierra Club is a great cause; it’s “America’s oldest and largest environmental organization,” according to Hexamer. Students are invited to trade media on the site 365 days per year, but doing so this Tuesday will enhance the benefit to the environment.
