Lifestyle
What’s better for the climate: A paper book, or an e-reader?
![What’s better for the climate: A paper book, or an e-reader? What’s better for the climate: A paper book, or an e-reader?](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4916x2765+0+555/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6e%2F01%2F9edce2f84e429dea0fb57f0d0c9f%2Fgettyimages-503848383.jpg)
In the face of human-caused climate change, paperbacks and e-readers each have pros and cons.
JGI/Daniel Grill/Getty Images
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JGI/Daniel Grill/Getty Images
The summer reading season is here.
Some people will opt for paperbacks because they’re easy to borrow and share. Others will go for e-readers, or audiobooks streamed on a phone.
But which is the more environmentally sustainable option? Reading’s carbon footprint is not large compared to other things people do, like travel, and it isn’t something most people consider when choosing how to read a book. But for those looking for small changes in their lives to reduce their impact on the climate, it might be worth exploring how the ways we choose to read books affect the planet.
A complicated question to answer
Whether it’s better to read books in print or on a device is complicated, because of the complex interplay of the resources involved across the entire lifecycle of a published work: how books and devices are shipped, what energy they use to run, if they can be recycled.
Digital reading is on the rise — especially audiobooks. According to the Association of American Publishers, they now capture about the same share of the total US book market as e-books — roughly 15%. But print is still by far the most popular format.
![20 new books hitting shelves this summer that our critics can't wait to read](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/05/20/illustration_booklist_24_02-copy_sq-8e62b229a072f6ab3eb3e7d5acc33f3353b25fab.jpg?s=100&c=15&f=jpeg)
“Publishers are interested in preserving the business that they’ve created over hundreds of years,” said Publishers Weekly executive editor Andrew Albanese, explaining why the industry is focusing most of its efforts on improving the sustainability of paperback and hardcover books, rather than digital formats. “They are looking to run those print book businesses as efficiently as possible, as cleanly as possible, as green as possible.”
On the one side: traditional book publishing
Traditional print publishing comes with a high carbon footprint.
According to 2023 data from the literary industry research group WordsRated, when it comes to pulp and paper, print book publishing is the world’s third-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, and 32 million trees are felled each year in the United States to make paper for books. Then there’s the printing and shipping — to say nothing of the many books that are destroyed because they remain unsold.
Although it’s standard practice in the industry, publishers don’t want to destroy books. So instead, many are donating unsold copies, switching to on-demand printing, or, like Chronicle Books, are reducing their initial print runs to see how well the titles sell before they print more.
“We felt that it was better to have a higher cost and have less waste,” said Chronicle Books president, Tyrrell Mahoney.
Chronicle Books, like many other publishers, is also trying to use more sustainable paper.
“We have this great partner in India who has now figured out how to use cotton-based up-cycled materials to print as paper,” Mahoney said.
Publishers are also rethinking book design. It might be a surprise, but certain fonts can be more climate-friendly by using less ink and less paper.
![A side-by-side comparison of one of Harper Collins' new sustainable fonts (right) and a regular font (left.)](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1494x1121+0+74/resize/1100/quality/15/format/png/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F51%2Ff2%2F8234620a48bbb92f41a0d1909002%2Fscreenshot-2024-05-22-at-13-38-43.png)
Harper Collins has introduced sustainable fonts that use less ink.
Harper Collins/Harper Collins
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Harper Collins/Harper Collins
“So far, these subtle, imperceptible tweaks have saved more than 200 million pages across 227 titles since September,” said Harper Collins’ senior director of design Lucy Albanese. NPR could not independently verify these page savings.
On the other: digital publishing
All well and good. But digital reading seems to have a considerable eco-advantage over print because it is paperless, so it saves trees, pulping and shipping. Moreover, tech companies that make e-readers such as Amazon, which sells the market-leading Kindle e-reader, offer recycling programs for old devices.
![11 books to look forward to in 2024](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/12/27/12-book-covers_sq-e9335124530e26304bec173739c666a5ce071534.jpg?s=100&c=15&f=jpeg)
“By choosing e-books as an alternative to print, Kindle readers helped save an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions over a two year period,” said Corey Badcock, head of Kindle product and marketing. NPR could not independently verify these emissions reductions.
But digital devices also come with a substantial carbon footprint, predominantly at the manufacturing stage. Their cases are made with fossil-fuel-derived plastics and the minerals in their batteries require resource-heavy mining.
The short answer to which is better: it depends
“It’s not cut and dried,” said Mike Berners-Lee, a professor of sustainability at Lancaster Environment Centre in the United Kingdom, of the comparative climate friendliness of digital versus print reading.
Berners-Lee, the author of The Carbon Footprint of Everything, said the average e-reader has a carbon footprint of around 80 pounds.
“This means that I’ve got to read about 36 small paperback books-worth on it before you break even,” he said.
![Here are the Books We Love: 380+ great 2023 reads recommended by NPR](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/11/16/bwl-2023-covers_sq-060befd3f80554a14a78a0b4a8393429c26f6216.jpg?s=100&c=15&f=jpeg)
Figuring out whether to take a digital device or a paperback to the beach ultimately depends on how voraciously you read.
“If you buy an e-reader and you read loads and loads of books on it, then it’s the lowest carbon thing to do,” Berners-Lee said. “But if I buy it, read a couple of books, and decided that I prefer paperback books, then it’s the worst of all worlds.”
Yet Berners-Lee said that reading is still, relatively speaking, a pretty sustainable activity — regardless of whether you read using an e-reader, phone or old-fashioned paperback.
Both audio and digital versions of this story were edited by Jennifer Vanasco. Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento mixed the audio version.
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Lifestyle
'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus
!['Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus 'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4032x2268+0+0/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdc%2F79%2F6c7afa6242ce9a53f9c10f64e374%2Fgettyimages-1436835915.jpg)
Nate Berkus speaks onstage during the Celebrity Cruises newest and most luxurious ship, Celebrity Beyond, makes north American debut in NYC on October 25, 2022 in Bayonne, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruises)
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruis/Getty Images North America
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Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruis/Getty Images North America
This week’s show was recorded at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Nate Berkus and panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Josh Gondelman. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.
Who’s Bill This Time
Beware of Babies; Coffee Conundrum; Even Killer Whales Need Practice
Panel Questions
The Buddy System Fails
Bluff The Listener
Our panelists tell three stories about someone saying “I told you so,” only one of which is true.
Not My Job: We quiz celebrity designer Nate Berkus on tattoos
Interior Designer Nate Berkus plays our game called “Try Some Exterior Decorating.” Three questions about tattoos.
Panel Questions
A Suspicious Promotion; Chicken Fried Television; Out Of Office/Out of Patience
Limericks
Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Pizza Face; Eau de Crayola; Caffeinated Commerce
Lightning Fill In The Blank
All the news we couldn’t fit anywhere else
Predictions
Our panelists predict what surprising thing Starbucks will add to its menu next.
Lifestyle
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez
![How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ff408f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1260+0+170/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd4%2Ff1%2Ffd25a1cc42e0b6c61ddabf5a2ead%2Fla-wk-sunday-funday-tony-gonzalez-lead-static.png)
When NFL Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez was growing up in Torrance, he remembers spending Sundays watching the Los Angeles Raiders on television. After all, “they had Bo Jackson,” Gonzalez says of the famous running back. (The Rams, led by quarterback Jim Everett, were a close second.)
Like Jackson, the 48-year-old grew up to be a multisport athlete, playing basketball and football at Huntington Beach High School and UC Berkeley and later playing 17 seasons in the NFL as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.
He may have retired from playing football, but Gonzalez is back on television as an analyst for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football,” a job that requires considerable travel during the NFL football season.
![sunday funday infobox logo with colorful spot illustrations](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bba0672/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2078x1385+142+0/resize/510x340!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F5c%2F2910e6494d1180e8b1c9f9aa5f56%2Fla-sf-series-graphic-tony-gonzalez.png)
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
During the offseason, however, Gonzalez cherishes his time at home with his family. Now that he, his wife, October, and their three kids have returned to Los Angeles after living in Texas, Gonzalez is happy to be back in L.A. (Gonzalez also has a son from a previous relationship with Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezo’s fiancée.) “When I left, I thought, ‘Why did I ever leave California?’” Gonzalez says. “I missed my family — my mother and my brother who live here. I also missed the ocean.”
When the NFL season kicks off on Sept. 5, Gonzalez will have to forfeit his Sundays — a day he describes as his “sacred day” — because he will watch football all day to prepare for his halftime and postgame analysis for “Thursday Night Football.” Until then, Gonzalez can be found cruising the tree-lined streets of Montana Avenue in Santa Monica on foot and bicycle as he enjoys a car-free day.
Accustomed to doing play-by-plays, Gonzalez offers the following commentary on his perfect Sunday in L.A. when he’s not on the road.
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5c848a4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2Ffe%2F45b0eb564e64b514c51cff393780%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-hands.png)
7 a.m.: Meditate before starting the day
The first thing I do when I wake up is meditate. I pray, sit there, think and close my eyes. I don’t get out of bed; I take time to be alone and get my thoughts right. It’s a sacred moment for me and lasts about 10 minutes.
9 a.m.: Grab a coffee at Sweet Lady Jane while walking the dogs
Midmorning, I’ll take my two dogs, Chica and Bronx, a standard black poodle and labradoodle, for a walk. During our walk, I’ll stop at Sweet Lady Jane off Montana Avenue in Santa Monica for coffee. Montana is where I will concentrate my day. I’m used to traveling for “Thursday Night Football” and am always on a plane. So Sunday is my sacred day. If I need to go somewhere, I’m walking; I’m walking everywhere. I’m not getting in the car.
10 a.m.: Shop local at the Santa Monica Farmers Market
After coffee and cake, my next stop is the Santa Monica Farmers Market, where I’ll do a little shopping. I like the local farmers’ eggs, cheese and meats, and they have the best yogurt I have ever tasted. I love going up and down the aisles and trying new things. It’s such a cool spot.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/40e4a3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9a%2F3e%2Fb052372b46c5ab92876d4c536f11%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-wave.png)
11 a.m.: Enjoy the ocean views at Palisades Park
If I don’t go home, I’ll walk over to Palisades Park, north of the Santa Monica Pier. I’ll pick a street, say Marguerita or Montana, and walk until it ends. After sampling some things at the Farmers Market, I’ll walk over to the cliffs overlooking the water. It’s so peaceful and beautiful there; it’s like you’re in a different country. That’s California at its best. You can sit on a bench and look out over the water. Anytime people come in from out of town, we’ll take them there and have a picnic. The ocean is one of the reasons I wanted to move back to Los Angeles.
Noon: Afternoon workout
Jogging to Palisades Park from where I live is a good workout. It’s about a mile from my house. I love walking to the ocean from my home and seeing the water. So after I take in the ocean views, I’ll walk or jog back to the house and take a shower.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15039d0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc9%2F0d%2F2a52a3f941d59f3af9c919bbfe5c%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-sandwich.png)
1 p.m.: Take a bike ride over to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
After showering, I’ll bike to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery. Their sandwiches are the best. I usually customize my sandwich and order turkey, roast beef, avocado, provolone, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mayonnaise. And the bread is outstanding. That’s what makes a good sandwich — the bread.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0438772/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2F3b%2Fa738071c401781d3894ade304488%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-beer.png)
3 p.m.: Grab a craft beer at Father’s Office gastropub
Later in the afternoon, I might head to Father’s Office, Sang Yoon’s gastropub in Santa Monica, where they have a great beer selection. It’s an excellent place to grab a beer on Montana Avenue, which is my favorite area. Father’s is small, but they have a nice outdoor area and terrific burgers. I might grab a beer and then head back to the house to relax.
7 p.m.: Enjoy an Italian meal at La Condo Portofino
At the end of the day, I’ll have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Condo Portofino on Montana Avenue. It’s an unassuming Italian place near 11th Street and located next to a cleaners, which I love. They have some of the best Italian food in L.A., and the staff is so nice. After the COVID-19 pandemic, they expanded and created seating in the parking lot. So now you can sit outside if you prefer and finish the day with a nice plate of pasta, a veal chop and a glass of wine.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1af90f2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa8%2F15%2F70185f4c462a8a75a32442b701f5%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-pasta.png)
10 p.m.: Read a book, catch up on TV and appreciate the day
After dinner, I’ll go home and read a book or try to find something to watch on Amazon Prime before I go to bed. That is my perfect day. The billion-dollar stadiums around the NFL are all centered around the fan experience. At home, this is my ultimate experience. In fact, I want to go do this right now.
Lifestyle
Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know
![Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8018x4510+0+0/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2Fc9%2F3cb30dc142deb062b859125cf4bb%2Fap23278570929892.jpg)
Adnan Syed, standing with his mother Shamim Rahman, talks with reporters outside Maryland’s Supreme Court in Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 5, 2023.
Susan Walsh/AP
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Susan Walsh/AP
Less than two years after Adnan Syed was released from prison, Maryland’s top court has ordered a redo on the very hearing that freed him.
On Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s decision from 2023 to reinstate Syed’s conviction. That ruling was based on the argument that the murder victim’s family did not receive adequate notice about the hearing that led to Syed’s release.
Now, the case will head to a new lower court judge, who will determine the fate of Syed’s conviction. The Maryland Supreme Court said Syed can remain free in the meantime.
![Prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed, the subject of 'Serial' podcast](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/10/11/ap22262747625739_sq-5232ba5af5f54fa9ddd4c4929f15521eb2b9c89c.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
The 43-year-old spent 23 years in prison for the murder of his former high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. His case drew national attention after being the main focus of the Serial podcast’s first season. The episodes raised doubts about some of the case’s evidence and led to calls for a new trial. Syed was originally facing life in prison until a Baltimore judge vacated his conviction in 2022.
Syed went on to work for Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative. But his case is far from settled. Here’s what to know.
A recap of Syed’s criminal case
In 1999, Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee’s body was discovered in a city park, a few weeks after she had gone missing. Her autopsy determined that she had been strangled to death.
Syed, who had previously dated Lee, was charged with her murder and in 2000, he was sentenced to life in prison. At the time, he was 18 years old.
![How the investigation of Adnan Syed became a podcast phenomenon](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/09/20/ap22262749491425_sq-60fd835cbead35cd8c99f1e79eee9927897922c5.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
Syed had long maintained that he was innocent but his case received renewed attention in 2014 after it was chronicled in the debut season of the Serial podcast. Over the course of 12 episodes, Serial probed at the details in Syed’s case and exposed flaws in the legal system. One poignant question from the podcast was about the reliability of cellphone tower evidence.
Syed’s lawyers raised similar concerns and in 2016, Syed was granted a new trial. The state appealed the ruling and his case went through various courts. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.
Things took a turn in 2022 after a year-long investigation resulted in new information about two possible, alternative suspects. In September of that year, Syed was released from prison and prosecutors later decided to drop all cases against him.
Why Syed’s murder conviction got reinstated
In 2023, Lee’s family urged the Appellate Court of Maryland for a redo of the hearing that won Syed his freedom. The family argued that Lee’s brother, who lived in California, received about three days notice about the hearing and therefore, was unable to attend in person — violating Maryland victims’ rights, the Associated Press reported at the time.
“We’re not on a campaign to have Adnan Syed put back in jail,” attorney David Sanford, representing Lee’s family, said in 2023. “This is about respecting victims and their representatives.”
![Adnan Syed's case is unique. Withholding of potentially exculpatory evidence is not](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/09/20/ap222627476257391_sq-18a1ef0ca5b0af1dab5f8716245323ceddaf3e48.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
The appellate court ruled in favor of Lee’s family and reinstated Syed’s murder conviction. The court also a ordered a new hearing in the case. That ruling was upheld by Maryland’s highest court on Friday.
“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the circuit court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” Maryland’s Supreme Court wrote in an opinion on Friday.
What’s next
Baltimore’s state attorney’s office said it was reviewing the high court’s decision and had no further details about next steps forward.
In a statement, Lee’s family’s attorney, Sanford, applauded the court for reaffirming crime victims’ rights and giving the family the chance to be heard properly in court.
“If there is compelling evidence to support vacating the conviction of Adnan Syed, we will be the first to agree,” Sanford said.
Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, said she disagreed with the court’s decision, adding that it will put an emotional toll on both Lee and Syed’s family.
“Though this latest ruling is a roadblock in the way of Adnan’s exoneration, we have faith that justice will prevail, and will work tirelessly to clear his name once and for all,” Suter said in a statement.
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