5 ms·
From the article: "To make a ton of regular paper requires 100 tons of water". It hardly seems silly to avoid that cost, fresh water is on it's way to being a s
by tommoor 9y ago
From the article: "To make a ton of regular paper requires 100 tons of water". It hardly seems silly to avoid that cost, fresh water is on it's way to being a scarce resource in many parts of the planet.
- trentmb 9y agodumb question: can we splice a gene or two from a mangrove with whatever trees are used for paper products to have salt-water paper trees?
- saagarjha 9y agoI think most of the water usage is not from growing the trees, but in the actual manufacturing process.
- turbohedgehog 9y agoThe water doesn't just disappear into thin air. It gets reused sometimes and then get treated and released or reused.
- InitialLastName 9y agoSide point: water literally just disappears into thin air.
- true_religion 9y agoIt's not a scarce resource in the parts of the planet where the paper is produced, and it is not cost effective to transport water to these places in sufficient quantities for it to no longer count as 'scarce'.
- sschueller 9y agoBut that 100 tons of water will convert a large amount of CO2 to O2 as the trees grow. Rocks don't capture any CO2.
- sirclueless 9y agoI believe that number is purely the water used converting pulp into paper, not water consumed growing trees. I've heard it's 400 parts water and one part pulp, not sure how accurate that is.[1] [1]: http://www.alternet.org/environment/whats-better-environment-paper-bags-or-reusable-plastic-bags http://www.alternet.org/environment/whats-better-environment...