4 ms·

Of course HP and other printing companies are trying to make money by any means necessary, that is how companies stay alive. But what I find interesting is that

Of course HP and other printing companies are trying to make money by any means necessary, that is how companies stay alive. But what I find interesting is that by making printing prohibitively expensive, they are rewarding paperless information consumption. This ironically aligns their profit motive with other motives for saving paper like reducing deforestation.

anigbrowl 16y ago
...by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was not part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.
Dove 16y ago
Actually, it turns out that trees for paper come from tree farms. They're domesticated. Hence, reducing deforestation by using less paper is like saving the bald eagle by eating less chicken.
- noonespecial 16y ago
  Also, if you were to see the trees that are cut from these farms for the purpose of making paper products, you'd be much more inclined to call them "brush" than trees. When people say "recycle to save the trees" they have redwoods pictured in their minds, they should probably be thinking more along the lines of the stuff you clear away to have an earth-day sing and a tree planting.
  - Dove 16y ago
    I don't know about "brush". Where I live (in the pacific northwest), when I pass tree farms on the highway, they look like aspens to me. Very tall and pole-like, with white bark. Tons of trees planted in very neat rows -- fun to watch them form lines as you drive by. A bit of googling gets me this: http://oregonwild.blogspot.com/2007/12/tree-farm-color.html http://oregonwild.blogspot.com/2007/12/tree-farm-color.html That's what they look like.
    - whimsy 16y ago
      I've seen primarily poplar and birch.

anigbrowl 16y ago

...by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was not part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.

Dove 16y ago

Actually, it turns out that trees for paper come from tree farms. They're domesticated. Hence, reducing deforestation by using less paper is like saving the bald eagle by eating less chicken.

noonespecial 16y ago
Also, if you were to see the trees that are cut from these farms for the purpose of making paper products, you'd be much more inclined to call them "brush" than trees. When people say "recycle to save the trees" they have redwoods pictured in their minds, they should probably be thinking more along the lines of the stuff you clear away to have an earth-day sing and a tree planting.
- Dove 16y ago
  I don't know about "brush". Where I live (in the pacific northwest), when I pass tree farms on the highway, they look like aspens to me. Very tall and pole-like, with white bark. Tons of trees planted in very neat rows -- fun to watch them form lines as you drive by. A bit of googling gets me this: http://oregonwild.blogspot.com/2007/12/tree-farm-color.html http://oregonwild.blogspot.com/2007/12/tree-farm-color.html That's what they look like.
  - whimsy 16y ago
    I've seen primarily poplar and birch.