Will consumers reward going green? Examining the case of the book industry

This is the subject of an article I wrote for the Independent, the magazine of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). The article was published last April and was added now to the public archive of the magazine.

The challenge the article is talking about is of course not unique to the book industry, but nevertheless due to the unique characteristics of books (not two books are the same), it makes this challenge even more difficult.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Do most book consumers care about the environment? Definitely. Do they prefer buying books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper because of that? It depends.

Eco-conscious book consumers need to deal with the same issues that green consumers in general deal with, but they also have special dilemmas. Imagine, for example, a book reader who would love to read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen and who finds out that this great book is not printed on eco-friendly paper. Will the reader decide not to buy it and wait to get a copy in the local library? I doubt it.

A book is not a vegetable, a toothpaste, or a car. Book buyers can’t just choose a “green” book over a “regular” one and still get their needs met, only with some green added value. Each and every book is a unique product with distinctive features, which makes greening book purchases more difficult than greening almost anything else.

You can read the whole article on the Independent's website. I hope you will find it interesting!

Yours,
Raz@Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Planting trees for your books

Green book of the week - Rethinking Paper & Ink: The Sustainable Publishing Revolution

If you're interested in making your reading greener then you know we are always looking for interesting resources that will help us to understand better how to do it.

Today we present you with one of the best resources on this topic, if not the best one - Rethinking Paper & Ink: The Sustainable Publishing Revolution by Ooligan Press, which was released last month.

About the book (from the publisher's website):
Ooligan Press is committed to leading the industry in sustainable publishing. Rethinking Paper & Ink, the newest title in Ooligan’s OpenBook Series, offers an in-depth, critical examination of the current book publishing industry and discusses ways to achieve more sustainable practices during acquisitions, editing, design, printing, marketing, promotion, and distribution. Dedicated to transparency, accountability, and responsibility, each title in Ooligan’s OpenBook Series includes an audit detailing the choices made during the book’s production process. This effort enables Ooligan to outline the specific decisions they made and measure the impact of those decisions in order to inform others seeking similar sustainable options.

About the authors (from the publisher's website):
Rethinking Paper & Ink is a collaborative effort by students and a core teaching staff of publishing professionals at Portland State University’s Ooligan Press. This title is an expansion of a booklet of the same name that was written by Melissa Brumer and Janine Eckhart. Brumer and Eckhart were the founders of Ooligan Press’s Sustainable Publishing Initiative. Their initial booklet launched Ooligan Press’s BISAC Category: Business & Economics/Green Business.

We wanted to learn more about the book and the effort that was made to offer such an in-depth examination of the book industry from a sustainable point of view and therefore we got in touch with one of the authors, Natalie Guidry, who happily agreed to share with us her thoughts.

Hi Natalie. What brought you to publish this book?
Rethinking Paper & Ink began its life in early 2009 as a grant-funded booklet written by Melissa Brumer and Janine Eckhart, the founders of Ooligan Press's Sustainable Publishing Initiative and OpenBook Series. When they began exploring ways to reduce Ooligan's impact as a publisher, they noticed that there were no current titles that explored sustainability in the book publishing industry and decided to fill that gap with their own research and findings.

As the remaining printed copies of the original booklet began to dwindle in late 2009, Jessicah Carver and I (then-managers of the Sustainable Publishing Initiative) decided along with the rest of Ooligan Press that the most responsible way to continue the project was to expand and update the original manuscript and publish Rethinking Paper & Ink as a full-length title. Because this edition is part of Ooligan's internationally-distributed catalog, we released it with the intention that more writers, editors, publishers, and book lovers from all over the world could get involved in the conversation.

What was the most surprising part you've learned while conducting the research for the book?
I was initially surprised that the book's environmental impact extended far beyond the paper stock and distribution. Every aspect—from the ink on the page to the coating on the cover—can release hazardous compounds that directly and indirectly affect the environment. It's easy to make the connotation between books, paper production, and deforestation, but the removal of biomass from forests isn't the only harmful practice in place.

You bring some interesting examples of sustainable leaders in the industry, but do you feel the publishing industry as a whole is interested in going green?
I do. Though the book publishing industry has a tendency to be a slow adapter to emerging technologies, it's begun to take more environmentally responsible choices in stride. There have been many examples: from massively popular titles like Harry Potter being printed on recycled paper stocks to the smaller publishing houses that have joined forces with the Green Press Initiative and other like-minded groups. Hopefully, publishers will continue to take advantages of the available resources in attempts to decrease their impacts.

How about consumers? Do most of them care about this issue? Are they willing to take action?
I definitely believe that consumers are interested in a more sustainable book publishing industry. Readers, as well as the consumer population at large, have been more eager to support organizations that want to improve the state of our environment. I know many bibliophiles who fear that printed book as we know it is on the edge of extinction and want to take great strides to prevent that from happening. Though e-books seem to be the biggest threat, there is also the threat of the long-term and permanent effects of depleting natural resources through deforestation. By choosing to support publishers and booksellers who are making responsible decisions, readers can actually influence the fate of the printed book.

How about ebooks? How do we green them up?
I think that the most room for improvement in the realm of e-books comes down to the device manufacturers and booksellers. Manufacturers can focus on making long-lasting devices using alternative energy—for both production and for at-home use—and digital booksellers can ensure that the servers that are hosting the e-book files are powered by renewable energy as well. Publishers can focus on being more selective as to which books necessitate a print run and which are perfectly fine being published only in digital format. Hopefully, publishers will begin to shift all of their mass market paperback titles so that they’re only released digitally, since many of these titles reach the end of their shelf life after a single read or before they’re even sold from the bookstore.

How we can create a win-win model in the industry where going green will also positively impact competitiveness and profitability?
As with all decisions related to sustainability, I think it’s going to be a balancing act that will be in a constant state of flux. I think it’s going to start with publishers demanding more sustainably alternative options from their printers, which hopefully leads to a ripple effect of those resources and processes becoming the industry norm. As demand increases and these options become more affordable, publishers will be able to implement them without completely demolishing their financial bottom lines.

Additionally, publishers can offer incentives to booksellers to prevent unsold returns that the current system allows—and even encourages. This is probably the worst fate for a book as it has already used up resources and emitted pollutants in its production stage, but never sees its end purpose of being read. Publishers like Chelsea Green have this system in place and it's ensuring that booksellers follow through with getting the title into a consumer's hands and justifying its print run.

When you finished writing, were you more optimistic or pessimistic comparing to the day you started writing?
I was definitely optimistic. Even though we spend a lot of time discussing the negative impacts of the book publishing industry as it currently stands, we also mention a lot of alternative practices that are becoming more widespread throughout the industry. It's exciting to know that the interest is there to clean up the industry as it stands. At some point, the more harmful practices that are in wide use won't be an option—whether it's environmentally, financially, socially, or any combination of the three. Businesses and individuals like those highlighted in the industry profiles throughout the book are leading the way in this transition through their dedication to the future of the book publishing industry.

What's the most important lesson we can find in the book?
I'd say that the most important lesson is that there's no one-size-fits-all solution to solve the current problems in the industry. What works for one publisher may not work for another, so it's important for each publisher to examine their current areas of improvement and develop their own set of best practices.

Who should read this book?
Though this book is probably most beneficial to those who work in the book publishing industry, it also provides insight into the entire publishing process for readers who are interested in becoming more informed on how their favorite books came to be. Informed readers can use their purchasing power to support publishers who are making efforts to reduce their environmental impact and influence other publishers to begin to make those strides.

Thanks, Natalie!

To learn more about Ooligan Press please visit http://ooligan.pdx.edu. You can purchase the book on Amazon or at your local bookstore.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading

Green Books Campaign: Green Press Initiative presents the progress made so far in the book industry

Some people asked me about the importance of the Green Books Campaign in the era of e-books. Well, for us it's very simple: Although there’s so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper still dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible.

Their share is still relatively small, but you can find a growing number of books printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to such books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to increase their green printing options and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

One of the important forces behind the progress made so far in the book industry and the growing number of books that are printed in an eco-friendly manner is Green Press Initiative (GPI).

GPI is supporting the Green Books Campaign and we asked our friends at GPI to tell us about their work with the book industry and the progress the industry has made in the last decade. Their website is also a great resource to learn more about the environmental impacts of the book industry and the solutions and we included some links you are welcome to look at below.

Green Press Initiative (GPI) is a non-profit program committed to reducing the environmental impacts of the book industry. For nearly 10 years, GPI has worked collaboratively with book publishers and their suppliers to reduce pressure on endangered forests, protect forest dependent communities and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result of the efforts by Green Press Initiative and leaders in the book industry, there has been significant progress as is outlined below:

- Approximately 50% of publishers (by market share) have environmental policies in place

- Nearly 230 publishers have endorsed the Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing or developed a policy with similar goals

The Book Industry Environmental Council has established an industry-wide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 2006 levels by 2020 with a long term target of an 80% reduction by 2050.

- Post-consumer recycled fiber in book papers has increased from 2.4% in 2004 to 13.3 percent in 2007.

- Many publishers have been able to significantly increase their use of recycled fiber or FSC certified paper without significant cost premiums.

- Nearly 50 new paper grades with strong environmental attributes have been developed in response to the demand from publishers with environmental policies.

GPI has played a leading role in helping to educate book industry stakeholders about the social and environmental impacts of the book industry as well the solutions that can help reduce these impacts. Towards this end, GPI has worked with publishers, book printers and paper manufacturers to increase the use of recycled fiber and paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council which guarantees that it is sourced from well managed forests.

Green Press Initiative has worked with nearly 230 publisher to develop environmental policies or endorse The Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing, which outlines environmental goals for the book industry. This treatise has also been endorsed by six paper manufacturers and nearly 30 printers.

In another efforts to catalyze progress in the book industry, GPI founded and now coordinates the Book Industry Environmental Council (BIEC). The BIEC consists of many of the largest book publishers, book printers and paper suppliers as well as a number of nonprofit organizations that have a focus on the book industry.

The BIEC provides a multi-stakeholder forum to discuss and implement plans to track and reduce the environmental impacts of the book industry, including setting an industry wide greenhouse gas reduction target, developing a plan to reduce the number of books that are landfilled, and developing a system to annually track key environmental metrics of the industry.

To learn more about Green Press Initiative or solutions to reduce the social and environmental impacts of the book industry please visit www.greenpressinitiative.org

We want to thank again GPI for their support of the campaign and assistance in getting the word out!

More links on their website:

The impacts of the book industry:

1. On endangered forests

2. On climate change

3. On people

Solutions - Responsible paper

The Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing

Book Publishers toolkit for responsible paper use

The Campaign's page is www.ecolibris.net/greenbookscampaign2010.asp .You can also follow the campaign on Facebook and twitter.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting green reading!

Is going green really worthwhile for authors?

The post this week on James Kaela, who is going to ride his bike for 1900 miles in 40 days to promote his new zero emissions book reminded me of the last piece missing in our series on the green future of the book industry - the one about authors.

Yes, just like publishers and bookstores, we believe authors can be a significant force in moving the book industry ahead toward a sustainable future. Just think about J.K. Rowling and the role she had in making Harry Potter so green (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which was called the greenest book in publishing history).

It's true of course that not every author has the power J.K. Rowling had (she for example blocked the Finnish version of Harry Potter no. 7 from being printed on local paper because it lacks the ecological FSC certification), but on the other hand it doesn't mean that authors are powerless unless they're best-sellers. Authors can make a difference, whether they're called Margaret Atwood or James Kaela.

But the (maybe) more interesting question is whether green choices are better for authors? When we talked about the future of publishers and bookstores, we made an argument that making greener choices in their cases is not just great for the environment, but also has a strong business case. Is this the case with authors?

We believe that although such a move won't necessarily generate benefits to authors in all cases, there's still enough evidence to support the assumption that going green is worthwhile to authors. Here are couple of examples:

1. Greener choices receive positive media mentions, which help to spread the word about the book and promote it. The book tours of Margaret Atwood and James Kaela are good examples.

2. Making sure your book is printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper can get the author a warm endorsement from NGOs, like in the case of RAN that published a list of 25 children’s books that are “rainforest-safe.” All books on the list are printed on post-consumer recycled, FSC certified or recycled paper, allowing parents the assurance of knowing that their childrens’ books are not contributing to the loss of Indonesia’s or other endangered rainforests.

3. Print On Demand (POD) not only reduces waste and books' footprint, but also gives authors (and publishers) a way to save money. Though not suitable for every author, in a future, where Smashwords's Mark Coker estimate that "most authors will be indie authors", this is certainly a win-win solution for many of them.

4. Creative green ideas can generate more sales - Even just using the Internet and social media networks for marketing instead of more traditional off-line marketing channels with greater carbon footprint is a win-win solution, generating usually better ROI and reduced environmental impacts.

5. Diversifying to other forms of publishing such as e-books might prove itself as another way of generating sales while reducing the book's footprint. Of course, as we say every time, we don't know yet how green e-readers really are, but from what we do know, we can definitely assume that they will come a more solid green alternative in the near future.

Given the relatively easy and cheap process of creating an e-book, it should be a good way for authors to go green while generating more sales from the growing numbers of readers who like to read their books on screens instead of paper. These are just couple of examples. We're sure that there are plenty more. In all, we believe that the future of authors is no different from the future of the book industry, meaning that they go through the same trends.

These trends no matter how you look at them are either already green (POD, online marketing) or will be in green in the near future (e-books). What I like about these trends is that you don't necessarily have to be green to utilize them, but no matter what is your reason, both you and the environment will benefit. We do believe nevertheless that authors that will also know how to position themselves as "green" authors will even benefit more. What do you think? We'll be happy to hear your thoughts!

Here are the articles we published so far in our series on the green future of the book industry:

Why should the book industry go green?

Can publishers build an effective green brand?

Is there a future for Barnes & Noble and Borders? Is it a green one?

Can monetary incentives + local benefits generate a brighter future for independent bookstores?

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Read more about JK Rowling wants Green Paper for Harry Potter by CreativeCloud from the UK's leading supplier of printer cartridges

Read more about JK Rowling wants Green Paper for Harry Potter by CreativeCloud from the UK's leading supplier of printer cartridges

Why should the book industry go green?

Our mission is to make reading more sustainable and to green up the book industry. Simple as that. But is it really that simple? and how exactly you do it? is it just good for the environment, or also for business?

We think of these and other questions every single day. We have our tree planting program, we support books that are printed responsibly and promote the implementation of sustainable practices, but we always look for more ways to get the right things done. Therefore, we start here a discussion about these issues that hopefully we'll get us as well as other people who are occupied with these questions some ideas on how make reading more sustainable.

We'll begin the discussion with the WHY question - why should the book industry go green? OK, obviously the industry has its carbon footprint (12.4 million metric tons - 2006 figures) and it would be better for planet earth if this footprint will be reduced, but what else? and even more important - can going green help the industry meet its current and future challenges?? Tough questions, but we're here to figure them out!

Let's start with some of the main 'engines' we identified that can possibly move the industry forward in a greener direction. Please not that they apply not only to publishers, but also to bookstores, distributors, authors, and anyone else who is involved in this industry.

1. The value of values - Jeffrey Hollender, in his new and fascinating book "The Responsibility Revolution" explains the value of values (real values) for companies and present a study of Prof. Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School on companies and values, that concluded that in "companies where values and standards are widely shared, employees make better decisions, collaborate more effectively, and react to opportunities (and crises) more effectively." As Kanter explains "[values] are no longer afterthought.. but a starting point that helps companies find profitable growth".

Kanter's study focused on multinationals, but as Hollender justly adds "a genuine commitment to values can benefit a company of any size". Chelsea Green is a great example -looking at their mission statement, it is no wonder they sustainably and successfully grow their business and even manage to do well in times of recession. Are all values necessarily sustainable? well, no matter how you look it, whether your values focus on the environment, local communities, employees or other stakeholders, these values are supporting either environmental or social sustainability, so yes they're sustainable. You just need to pick the ones that are right for your organization. So the bottom line is that having values and a sense of mission can not only create a good karma but also generate a real business value for publishers, bookstores and others.

2. Regulation - Regulation is still a more of a future issue than a present issue, but with the new Kerry-Lieberman Climate Law that was revealed this week, it looks like we're talking about the near future. Now, you might not think that this regulation will effect the book industry directly as it tends to focus mainly on the big emitters, but that's not totally true.

Firstly, such a regulation puts for the first time a price tag on carbon emissions and helps businesses to finally refer to climate change as what Prof. Andrew Hoffman of Michigan University calls "a market shift." This regulation has the potential to change the business environment of many sectors, including the book industry - just think for example on possible changes in the cost of paper due to the need to take carbon emissions into account.

Now, how much impact a climate regulation can have on the book industry? we still have to see, but as Prof. Hoffman explains "the future is a carbon-constrained world and the time for action is now".
Climate regulation creates risks and opportunities for almost every business (check out "The Carbon Hunters" to see one example). Those who will be better prepared, by identifying the opportunities, managing the risks and adjusting their business strategy accordingly, will create significant competitive advantages for themselves. In all, this is also a good reason to green.

3. Business opportunities - The bad news is that for many in the industry going green means just paying more for recycled or FSC-certified paper. The good news is that a growing number of people in the industry begin to realize that going green is synonymous with the creation of business opportunities. In today's hectic business environment, where the ways we find, buy and read books is constantly and profoundly changing, business opportunities can be the reason number one to go green.

Why going green = creating business opportunities? Because as Andrew Winston and Daniel Esty explain in their book "Green to Gold" going green can mean improvement of resource productivity, lowering costs upstream and downstream, promoting value innovation and developing breakthrough products.

You don't have to be an industry insider to know that there are so many wasteful practices (the return policy for example) and need to find new ways to make money. Going green is not a magic peel but it can certainly help with both goals. Just think about innovative products like the Espresso Book Machine or audiobooks that can be downloaded, or efficient models such as Print on Demand. These are all green win-win solutions. Starting to think green can definitely bring more of those.

4. Pressure from peer businesses - if this publisher is going green, maybe I should also do it? If this bookstore chain is adopting sustainable practices, maybe we better do it as well? I guess that here the fear that competitors might get a competitive advantage of these steps can drive companies in the book industry to match peers' efforts.

Is it an effective engine? only if companies will see business opportunities in it or feel that consumers demand it. If it's only a good-doing thing, it won't really influence them.

5. Consumers' demand - consumers want to see change and they exercise it in growing numbers. As Joel Makower explains in his book "Strategies for the Green Economy" - "Vast majorities of consumers say they have adopted greener habits in their daily lives, and shop for at least some products with a keen eye on their environmental provenance and energy and climate impacts. In other words: the marketplace is getting greener."

Does it apply also for books? You Betcha. Many book readers are very passionate about the books they buy and and there are others, who might not be avid readers, but still look quite often for green products and would love to do it with books as well. Of course there are consumers that wouldn't really care, but I believe there are enough readers that would be interested to see their books going green. It's just a matter of awareness, relevance, availability of options and price.

The transition from print to digital is an important factor as many readers see e-books as a greener option, which hopefully will help to actually make it a a real greener option by pushing the e-book readers to produce devices that are more sustainable. At the same time, most readers will continue in the foreseen future to read physical books and there's a good chance we'll see a growing number of these readers ask publishers and bookstores to provide them with greener books. We'll further discuss this issue in our next post that will focus on green branding in the book industry.

Did we miss anything? if you think of any other engines that can drive the industry forward to the green direction please add your comment.

As mentioned, the next part of our discussion will be focused on the question: Can publishers build an effective green brand? We'll see you on Tuesday!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Happy Birthday - Eco-Libris is two years old!

Last weekend when the United States celebrated Independence Day, Eco-Libris had its own birthday celebration - we have just turned two years old!

Yes, another year passed and let me tell you - it wasn't an easy one. Like many others we had to cope with difficult economy and work hard to keep our heads above the water. At the same time, we try to look at these difficulties as an opportunity to improve, innovate, develop new programs and explore more ways to pursue our mission more effectively.

Still it was a year of progress - we managed to create more partnerships, enhance our educational work, tighten our relationships with our planting partners, contribute to the discussion about green issues in the book industry and of course plant more trees!

I am proud to report that Eco-Libris balanced out so far 98,066 books, which resulted in 111,390 new trees, of which 45,525 are the result of our operations on the second year.


















Here's a reminder of some of things we did on this year, month by month:

July 2008
The UConn co-op joins Eco-Libris bookstores program

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well" is collaborating with Eco-Libris

Subscription option is becoming available on Eco-Libris website

August 2008
BlogHer's first book "Sleep is for the Weak" is going green with Eco-Libris

Tania Hershman, author of "The White Road and Other Stories" is collaborating with Eco-Libris

New collaboration with Bookworm Baskets, which sells book-themed gift baskets

September 2008
GreetQ, an online greeting card retailer, is collaborating with Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris is contributing to a demonstration of a green campus residence hall

A collaboration with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in an educational contest for kids

October 2008
New partnership with the Norwegian publisher Flux starts with a book on Arne Næss

Eco-Libris is collaborating with Dutch author Annet Struik

"The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear" is going green with Eco-Libris

November 2008
A new collaboration with Aaspirations Publishing, a proud green publisher

We have a monthly newsletter with special offers to our subscribers

Eco-Libris is collaborating with BookSwim in an holiday campaign

December 2008
We publish the annual assessments of our planting partners

An interview on Treehugger.com

Publishing the Green Collar Holiday Gift Guide for Book Lovers

January 2009
Collaboration with eBook publisher, Wyrdwood Publications, starts with "The Mouse in the Viking's Beard"

Publishing an interview with Greg Barber, an eco-friendly printer

Celebrating a new year with a new series - My green resolution for 2009

February 2009
Eco-Libris is available now at Hooray for Books! in Old Alexandria, Virginia

Celebrating another successful planting season of our planting partner RIPPLE Africa with photos from Malawi

We report on our blog on a green publisher that bits the recession - Chelsea Green Publishing

March 2009
The publisher and the author of "Sammy and Sue Go Green Too!" is collaborating with Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris on the cover of Awareness Magazine

New collaboration with the authors of "Green Beginnings"

April 2009
Raincoast Books and Eco-Libris are collaborating in a green campaign "Buy a book, Plant a tree"

Eco-Libris is taking part in a green reading event of the Chicago Bulls in a local school

A green campaign on Facebook

May 2009
A joint campaign with Barefoot Books in celebration of their new book 'Earth Tales'

Partnering with Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago

Participating in BookExpo America

June 2009
In collaboration with Greg Barber, we start a new series on our blog of weekly green printing tips

New collaboration with Kathleen Wilson, the author of the new book 'Rumer & Qix: The Race to Terra Incognita'

Bambeco, an online retailer of eco-friendly and stylish products for the home, is collaborating now with Eco-Libris

And what's next? we already work on new programs that we believe will assist us in achieving our goals - greening up the book industry and making reading more sustainable.We'll have more details soon so stay tuned!

We would also like to take this opportunity and thank everyone involved in our efforts - from the dedicated eco-conscious readers that balance out their books with us, through our business partners that take action to support the environment all the way to our wonderful planting partners that are doing such a great job in planting the trees in developing countries.

Thank you all!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

*photo is courtesy of RIPPLE Africa from the 2008/9 planting season - Makuzi Afforestation club

BookExpo America, here we come!

Today is a very busy day as I'm preparing for BookExpo America, which I'm going to attend tomorrow and on Saturday.

As we mentioned here, BookExpo America (BEA) is the largest book industry event in North America with over 1,500 exhibitors from 37 countries, and one of the largest gatherings of English language publishers in the world.

I will bring you reports from this important event, including a coverage of the panel on Publishing Green: A Recipe for Success in Tough Times. This panel will be held on Saturday, May 30 between 9:30-10:30. The participants will be Todd Pollak, Program Manager, Green Press Initiative (moderator), Steve Geck, Exec Editor, Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, Charles Melcher, founder, Melcher Media and Pete Datos, Vice President, Strategic Planning & Publishing Operations, Hachette Book Group.

If you're also attending the BEA and would like to meet me there please get in touch via email - raz[at]ecolibris[dot]net

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Why BookExpo America is not going greener? is going green only a luxury of the (relatively) good days?

BookExpo America (BEA) will begin next Thursday (May 28) in NYC. This is the largest book industry event in North America with over 1,500 exhibitors from 37 countries, and one of the largest gatherings of English language publishers in the world. We'll be there as well!

The BEA will also have special industry and author events, including some green content. But this year the green content is much more limited in comparison with last year, and we're wondering why is that? is going green only a luxury of the (relatively) good days? is no longer relevant during economic recession?

If you recall Eylon's reports from last the 2008 BEA in Los Angeles, there were several panels about green issues, including Buying, Packaging & Publishing Green Books: The Publishers' Perspective, Environmental Trends: Where Does the U.S. Book Industry Stand Today?, Investing in a Sustainable World: How the Green Revolution will Create New Industries, Opportunities, Economies and Fortunes, and so on.

This year there's only one - Publishing Green: A Recipe for Success in Tough Times. This panel will be held on Saturday, May 30 between 9:30-10:30. The participants will be Todd Pollak, Program Manager, Green Press Initiative (moderator), Steve Geck, Exec Editor, Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, Charles Melcher, founder, Melcher Media and Pete Datos, Vice President, Strategic Planning & Publishing Operations, Hachette Book Group.

So why we see a reduction in the number of the panels? what happened to the green spirit that we thought was ruling last year's BEA? my guestimation is that in times where the industry is struggling to keep its head above the water, discussions on green issues look a little bit less relevant or maybe even unrealistic, as going green may be associated with increased costs.

BUT, is it true?

Well I guess the participants in the panel will provide some answers from their own experience, so it would definitely be worthwhile to attend the panel. Other than that the book industry in many ways is no different than most of the industries, and therefore the basics of how going green can benefit a business apply here.

And these benefits include:

1. Driving revenues up

2. Enhancing intangible value

3. Cutting costs

4. Reducing risk

It actually looks like in times like these, such benefits are actually more important and more attractive. Who wouldn't like now to drive revenues up of cut costs? and if it helps the environment at the same time, creating win-win solutions that's even better! That's I guess the same logic President Obama sees in his policy to promote green solutions.

So in all, it seems like going green can be the remedy or at least a significant part of it. And with the upcoming regulation that will put price tag on carbon emissions, it looks like there will be even more economic reasoning why going green and reducing your carbon footprint is the right thing to do. Some in the industry already move forward in this direction.

But general observation is not enough and the burden of proof is still on our shoulders - can you do well by doing good? can you create shared value benefiting both your business and the environment/society? we think the answers are YES and following the BEA we intend to get more into the benefits we presented above and provide you with more specifics on how you can gain them by going green.

We will start with bringing you updates and news from the BEA and of course from the green panel we mentioned. So stay tuned and let us know what you think about this issue. We'll be happy to receive your feedback!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

My article about the book industry's key elements for green future on Vulpes Libris

Vulpes Libris invited me to take part and write an article for their Environment Week, and so I happily did. The article is about few key elements that can significantly impact the future of the book industry and determine how green it will be.

You can find it here - http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/raz-godelnik-from-eco-libris-talks-about-the-future-of-the-book/.

The whole Environment Week is full with great articles and topics and you are welcome to check them out. Here is the program of this week:

MONDAY: Naturalist Scott Weidensaul travels the world seeking lost species in The Ghost with Trembling Wings, which Jackie finds riveting.

TUESDAY: We have a contribution from Raz Godelnik, CEO of Eco Libris, a company specialising in sustainable reading.

WEDNESDAY: Mary talks to Mark Lynas, author of Six Degrees about climate change, the need to respond to environmental challenges, his frustration with global warming deniers and the power of books.

THURSDAY: We have a guest piece from Lizzie Rushton, a geographer writing about Christian environmentalism based on controversial interpretations of the Book of Revelation.

FRIDAY: To raise our spirits, Mary is back again with a review of Andrew Simms’ (ed.) Do Good Lives have to Cost the Earth? (The answer, in conclusion, being no.)

SATURDAY: Leena reviews Nature’s Child: Encounters with Wonders of the Natural World in which John Lister-Kaye, nature writer and conservationist, writes about bringing up her young daughter to have a close relationship with nature.

SUNDAY: Some book recommendations from The Soil Association.

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway of How Can I Stop Climate Change? here!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

The numbers are going up: 30 million trees are cut down annually for the books sold in the U.S.

Until lately we were quoting the figure of 20 million trees as the common estimate for the number of trees cut down annually for the production of books sold in the U.S. alone. Not any more. And unfortunately, the update is not positive. We're updating this figure to (approximately) 30 million trees.

The base for the new estimate is the report 'Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts: Findings from the U.S. Book Industry', prepared by The Green Press Initiative and The Book Industry Study Group. This is probably the most important report that was published recently on the environmental impacts of the book publishing industry.

According to the report the amount of paper consumed annually for books in the U.S. is 1.6 million metric tons (2006 figures). To convert it into trees figure, we will multiply it in 20, as the figures usually used are in the range of 17-24. So the total we get is about 32 million trees, and if we round it - about 30 million trees.

I was really hoping that the first time we will update the 20 million figure it will be to a lower figure and it also made sense with the growing use of recycled paper for the production of books. Still, it shows that the growth in production of books (which means growth in the use of virgin paper) is faster than the growth of recycled paper usage, which according to our estimates is still less than 10% of the total paper used for the production of books in the U.S.

And just to be clear - most of these trees that are cut down come from un-farmed sources (not to mention the fact that tree farms themselves have in many cases a devastating impact on native forests and indigenous communities). Mandy Haggith, the author of the new book "Paper Trails" explained it to the Independent lately: "No one likes to think of trees being felled, but many of us have a cosy image in our heads that it all comes from recycling or "sustainable" woodlands growing in neat rows, perhaps somewhere in Sweden. It's a myth. Globally, 70 per cent of the 335 million tons of paper the world uses each year comes from natural, un-farmed sources. In Canada, the UK's biggest source of pulp, 90 per cent of its output comes directly from its ancient forests."

I truly hope that this is the last time this number increases. Steps are being taken by publishers with the support of readers, authors, bookstores, printers, organizations and many others, but we need to move faster to lower these figures. Eco-Libris, as we stated many times before, sees itself as an agent of change in the book industry and will continue to work with many parties in this industry all over the globe to make sure that the next time we update you with new figures, it will be a lower figure and not just another increase.

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

Back from the Trenches: Eco-Libris in Book Expo America. Part 1 – ABA's Day of Education

Just back from Book Expo America in Los Angeles. Although the word on the street is that this year was a bit slower than previous ones, it was still the number one book industry event in the US. Therefore it was definitely a good place for Eco-Libris to network, learn and discuss green policies, practices, and the planting of trees to balance out the paper used by the various members of the industry.

One organization that is starting to take environmental concerns seriously, is the American Booksellers Association (ABA). Eco-Libris was invited to meet booksellers that may be interested in our program for booksellers, in its “Green Retailing” session, held as part of ABA's day of education on Thursday, May 29.

Keynote by Ed Begley Jr.

The day began with a green keynote speech by environmental activist, actor, and author of “Living like Ed – A guide to Eco-Friendly Life”,Ed Begley Jr. He was introduced by outgoing ABA President Russ Lawrence , who also listed ABA's environmentally friendly efforts for the event: The elimination of the canvas goody bag that was given to all members in the past upon sign-up. It was replaced by a table of freebies, which members can pick and choose from, and carry in the bags they already brought with them. Paper use was also minimized. Whereas in the past, at the end of each session, an evaluation sheet was distributed to be filled up, this time the evaluation will be done electronically. Similarly, there were no handouts during the educational sessions, and all the material was made available on-line before the show. Whenever possible, material for the show was sourced locally in LA, minimizing shipping from ABA's headquarters on the east coast. And my favorite effort was that metro passes were given to all members to encourage using public transportation when commuting in LA during the show.

Compared to the non-existent green practices of the main event at Book Expo America (don't get me started! This rant will come later) the ABA demonstrated awareness and pro-activeness that I can only wish will be emulated and built upon by others in the future.

As always, Begley's speech was interesting and inspiring. He started by calling the booksellers in the audience “proud survivors of independent retails... American communities need you”, and went on to detail the ways in which he managed to live a green life as a poor actor living on a budget during his early career, encouraging people to take action according to their current means, and embrace the money saving aspects of the green movement.

During the Q&A session Begley was asked about his current favorite books, which included Bill McKibben's The End of Nature, Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, and Collapse by Jared Diamond.

Green Retailing Education Session

This session included three presentations moderated by ABA's Chief of Operations Oren Teicher, whom together with ABA's Lisa Winn, seems to be heading the organization's green drive. Presenters included Ferris Kawar, of green retail guide Greenopia, Natalie Frieberg of Los Angeles based green retailer, All Shades of Green, and Suzy Staubach of UConn Co-op. All three are involved with greening of retail space, and related to the booksellers in the audience their tips and practices on taking action in their own stores. Most practices suggested are not unique to book selling. These included recycling, the use of recycled material (for example for flooring), and encouraging sustainable commute practices by the staff, such as using public transport, biking or carpooling. More specifically for book selling was the focus on the place of the bookstore as a purveyor of information to the community. Bookstores were encouraged to create a green books section that will include related books, and those that were sustainably produced. Staubach of Uconn Co-Op also described an annual conference on sustainability that she organizes at the campus, and Frieberg described a workshop which took place at the store, that ended in the transformation of the shop's parking lot into a more sustainable system of capturing rain water.

Teicher of ABA introduced Eco-Libris and your truly to the audience and encouraged the booksellers in attendance to check out our program for bookstores. Eco-Libris enables the bookstore to offer its customers the opportunity to plant a tree for every book they buy. This introduction was very exciting and will hopefully result in many more stores joining in the near future.

At a later date I'll discuss the very timely “building community” session, and Amy Goodman's moving lunch speech, which ended in a standing ovation. Needless to say, this was a great event and many thanks and congratulations to its organizers.

Yours,
Eylon @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

(Images: Bookselling This Week)