North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Christopher Mauchline" <mauch1@aol.com>]

I am concerned about paper and the loss of forests, but here is my
two cents on the subject:

I consider that newspapers (and most magazines) containing toxic inks 
and dyes plus extremely ephemeral information to be far more wasteful 
and destructive of forests than a small digest like Pomona where it 
can be used as a resource for years.  

Computers are not a perfectly clean industry:  The production of 
microchips and circuitry boards involves the creation of toxic 
waste.  Some are currently arguing that computers with some of the 
substances they contain should be considered toxic waste in our 
landfills.  The majority of electricity used to power these machines 
for most of the U.S. is generated using fossil fuels.  
And "renewable" resources like hydroelectric have come under fire 
lately for the their own, not insignificant ecological damage.

I would love a searchable, electronic copy of Pomona, but I would 
still want my paper copy.  I work in the computer industry - 
electronic data is vunerable to loss from device failure,  
format/technology change or organization failure (small example of 
this:  I use (and will hang on to my last copy) of Bear Creek's 
catalog for a description of apple varieties.  They're now out of 
business.  If I had depended (if it had been available) on an 
electronic copy I might not have that resource any more.)  

I probably could go on longer, but I've probably said enough.

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6

--- In nafex@egroups.com, edforest55@h... wrote:
> For those of you who would like your copy of Pomona on paper, 
please 
> reconsider, we're talking about a lot of paper here and fossil 
fuels 
> for shipping. Its the little things like this that really add up. 
Our 
> planet is in self destruct mode because of our over- spending of 
its 
> resources. Computers give us the opportunity to save vast 
quantities 
> of paper and shipping. Lets take advantage of it! We CAN change our 
> habits, with a little creativity. (such as to skim the online 
version 
> for those article that you really need to read 'by the fire' and 
> print them out yourself, or to save the online version and read 
bits 
> of it at a time if its too big a read all at once.)
> I am fairly certain that the NAFEX board or editors will eventually 
> give us the option of an online version, I think that we should 
move 
> towards a trend of higher prices for the printed version and 
lowered 
> prices for the online one.
> Kevin B


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