(OK, pardon me for being a late-comer, but we antipodeans are always behind the times)
At long last, those digital artists who re-write archaic tomes on magic will have a medium that reflects the content: not only will the pages delete themselves as you read them, but the disc goes blank before you get the chance to recover them...
On another thread: I'm pleased to read that so many of you are concerned about environmental impacts. Balance the responsibility between yourselves (as consumers) and the producers. Pressure companies to think more responsibly, and make it clear that you prefer permanency. If they don't listen, don't buy it - they'll listen if they go broke (ah, I love capitalism)
I feel sorry for people that want to make thing impermanent: aren't they proud enough of their achievements to let them stand the test of time?
Don't forget, amidst all those mentions of hemp vs. forest, that there are more fundamental ecological issues that cannot be solved just by establishing a plantation (of any sort).
Irrespective of whether you plant hardwoods, softwoods or hemp as your source of paper fibre, a plantation is a monoculture - one dominant species. You will have greater species richness and diversity in a "natural" forest, not only through competition between a number of tree species, but also through the provision of a range of habitat (nutrients+shelter) for other plant and animal species.
Switching to another resource for our paper needs must be considered not just on how "sexy" the alternative may sound; the world's a complex place, and our solutions must be similarly diverse and adaptive.
Slashdot Mirror
(OK, pardon me for being a late-comer, but we antipodeans are always behind the times)
At long last, those digital artists who re-write archaic tomes on magic will have a medium that reflects the content: not only will the pages delete themselves as you read them, but the disc goes blank before you get the chance to recover them...
On another thread: I'm pleased to read that so many of you are concerned about environmental impacts. Balance the responsibility between yourselves (as consumers) and the producers. Pressure companies to think more responsibly, and make it clear that you prefer permanency. If they don't listen, don't buy it - they'll listen if they go broke (ah, I love capitalism)
I feel sorry for people that want to make thing impermanent: aren't they proud enough of their achievements to let them stand the test of time?
(almost off-topic, but not quite!)
Don't forget, amidst all those mentions of hemp vs. forest, that there are more fundamental ecological issues that cannot be solved just by establishing a plantation (of any sort).
Irrespective of whether you plant hardwoods, softwoods or hemp as your source of paper fibre, a plantation is a monoculture - one dominant species. You will have greater species richness and diversity in a "natural" forest, not only through competition between a number of tree species, but also through the provision of a range of habitat (nutrients+shelter) for other plant and animal species.
Switching to another resource for our paper needs must be considered not just on how "sexy" the alternative may sound; the world's a complex place, and our solutions must be similarly diverse and adaptive.