The Bible Goes Green!
By Jenn (TinyChoices.com) | October 25, 2007
Who knew that it’d be especially difficult to produce a recycled paper for bible-printing? Due to the thin, tissue-paper-esque quality of the leaves, it’s taken some time to get the recipe right– but earlier this month, publishers Thomas Nelson Inc released the world’s first bible printed on recycled paper.
They worked closely with the Green Press Inititative (an organization which works with publishers to make better paper decisions) on the production of this bible:
It is a milestone as the Bible is the best known and most widely distributed book in history. It is also a window into much larger shifts in the U.S. book industry and paper industry at large–an industry with a huge environmental footprint. …there are connections to impacts on climate forests, and communities as well as a positive story of a multi billion dollar industry moving in the right direction.
Online details on this printing of the bible are slim– I can’t locate the recycled-content percentage of the paper, for example, nor a link to the actual book– but according to Biblestudy.org there have been, from the invention of the printing press through today, approximately 7.5 BILLION bibles printed. First of all, that’s a lot of any book– even Harry Potter didn’t sell that many copies (hard to believe but true). Second of all, that’s a LOT of trees, yo:
- Globally, over 40% of the industrial wood harvest is used to make paper – a sobering fact given that forests store half of all carbon in the biosphere & deforestation accounts for 25% of human caused C02 emissions
- Each ton of recycled paper saves 24 trees and uses 44% less energy & 38% less greenhouse gases to produce
While I’m not a bible-reading kind of gal, it’s clear that a move such as this one could have a great ripple-effect through more religious segments of the population. First, buy a recycled-paper bible. Then start using recycled-content toilet paper in your home and church. Recycled-content gift wrap at Christmas. Screw in one of those funny lightbulbs. Etc and etc. Protecting God’s green earth, and all that.
UPDATE, from Grist:
Interfaith Power and Light, an organization dedicated to a “religious response to global warming,” has just launched an online store, ShopIPL.org, where religious institutions, people of faith, and freeloading atheists can go to buy energy-efficient lighting, solar cookers, and other environmentally friendly gizmos for house and church alike.
Thanks to Rebecca for the tip!
[Image by Addictd2Flickr-BEGGI NGdad4aDSLR!!! via Flickr]
Topics: Books | 2 Comments »
you forgot another important step: buy a recycled bible, and then ask yourself: what would jesus drive?
http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/
WooHooo, I am a Bible reader and this is great!!!!