The "Magazines, The Power of Print" campaign

I saw my first "Magazines, The Power of Print" campaign as I was doing my first scan of my magazines subscriptions.  Then I saw it again in another magazine... And I was thinking of how at one point magazines were the leading source of information for a particular genera.  Think of all the times you trusted fashion tips from a magazine growing up.  Or cut recipes out of a food magazine for a dinner party.  These things now people are looking to a few blogs to give them the bloggers ideals on a subject.  I by no means want to down grade the blog (Come on, I am on one now right????) But, I do think that we are navigating towards this tapped in culture and I am still on the preserving side of the argument. 

(Check out their fun video as well as the ad above)

I don't completely believe in putting all of my stock into a paperless future.  I am one environmentalist who believes that we should still use paper.  We should just use paper responsibly!  To me that means purchasing 100% recycled paper products, both at home and for business use.  If we can set up the infrastructure to support this idea, I believe we could be on a short trip to making using paper a no-brainer.  The other side to that people would say is "What about the electricity to continue re-processing the paper?" 

                

To that I say:  "What about the electricity leaving your computer on all day? Or the amount used to just mindlessly surf just because?"

There are in fact alternative energy sources that we can use to produce %100 recycled paper.  Team that up with soy based inks and we are in luck!  Besides, if we go completely paperless what kind of "browns" would we have for our compost?  Or making little seedling pots to plant in the garden, how do you do that with no paper foundation?

When we go completely digital, or even more than now- How will we view the amount of e-waste generated by our frequent upgrading? According to the US EPA, more than 4.6 million tonnes of e-waste ended up in US landfills in 2000.  Wonder what that fact looks like today just 10 years later...

I for one think that we need to create a ton more information and facts supporting both sides of the picture. I hope that while we are figuring things out, People still take stock in the value of the printed word.