Green Publishing
Authors kill a lot of trees. It’s an occupational hazard of course, starting with all that paper we use to print our manuscripts on, followed by published books. In this era of genuine concern over global warming and protecting our environment, both publishers and authors can be much more environmentally friendly.This week, Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts, an 86-page summary announced the news heard round-the-book-world: The publishing industry, which uses up more than 1.5 million metric tons of paper each year, is steadily, if not entirely, finding ways to make production greener.
Tyson Miller, founder and director of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit program which has worked extensively with publishers on environmental issues and implementing greener practices noted, “We’re seeing a groundswell of momentum and real measurable progress.” While the results within the publishing industry are uneven with just over half of publishers setting specific goals for increased use of recycled paper, around 60% have a formal environmental policy in place or are completing one. While plenty of work remains, changes in the industry are definitely positive.
Authors too, can produce more environmentally responsible books. Cindy Katz, co-author of Green Guide Girls: Guide to Publishing is also the founder of Plant a Tree USA. According to Katz, the two organizations go hand-in-hand and the book “assists new and seasoned authors with easy approaches to environmentally friendly options to book publishing”. Both Miller and Katz are featured in this month’s bookhitch newsletter, a search engine for authors and books.Yes, authors do kill a lot of trees. But instead of feeling guilty and/or helpless, such resources can help authors be environmentally responsible in our work.
Technorati Tags:
Writing, publishing, environment, green publishing, book publishing, recycled paper
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo |
