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Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

  Are we green enough? The environmental and monetary costs of textbooks arekilling us; our trees and money are being used at a tremendous rate. The solutions range from on-line books (when available), re-selling used books, and demanding books printed on only 100% recycled paper.

We can save our trees. It is estimated that more than 20 million trees are cut each year to make new books. According to [the article] People Planet Profit (abc7.com), “On average, a student will use one tree’s worth of paper in textbooks each year.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s “Go Math” series were printed with 100% recycled paper which saved 40,000 trees, 8 million gallons of water, reduced carbon air emissions by 3.8 million pounds and eliminate one million pounds of solid waste. These savings were in Florida alone. One could argue, we need such a book printed on regular paper for better presentation and cheaper costs. Are the costs really cheaper? Consumers as a whole have the power to start making choices to purchase earth-friendly products. Individually, one must be committed to putting the environment ahead of convenience so that we can all continue to enjoy this wonderful planet. We can save our money. Costs are high when buying university textbooks; for example, for two classes the books cost $250. Textbooks typically cost more than $100 per book and the student spends an average of $700 to $1000 a year, representing the biggest expense after tuition and lodging. Online textbooks can cost from 65-70% of new printed textbooks. When available, buying used textbooks gives one an approximate savings up to 50%, according to Bookies. Starting to increase our usage of online textbooks or digital will increase the availability and improve technology in this field. We need to save our resources to gain resources -- our education. We all must play a part and be willing to adapt to changed to improve our environmental and economic situation. Technology can be used fully to our advantage, let’s use it to the full.

Sincerely,

Ida Imler