[Adrian]

Adrian  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hi Naked Scientists,

I'm Adrian, 28, from Romania, but now in Wales.

Question: How many papers do you need to burn to read a news paper online, on a computer monitor? lets say to read it half an hour.

Kind regards,
 
Adrian

What do you think?

[Karsten]

Do you mean:

How much energy is required to read the news online for 30 minutes and how much paper do you have to burn to receive this amount of energy?

[Adrian]

Exactly! How much energy needs a computer to stay on for half an hour, talking in news papers to burn to produce the steam, to move the dynamo. I don't have a news paper now, but medium size.

[lyner]

There's also the issue of all those servers running and all the data circuits and so on.

[Karsten]

1) How much energy does your computer consume?
2) What device do you use to burn it?
3) What is the efficiency of your electric dynamo?
4) What is the efficiency of your steam generator?

A lot depends on your set-up. There are a lot of variables. If you have the paper, steam generating apparatus, dynamo, and computer, you can just try it.

There's also the issue of all those servers running and all the data circuits and so on.

And, yes, then there is that too.

[Bored chemist]

Don't forget the distribution costs of the newspaper.

[lyner]

And the costs of getting rid of it when its finished with.

[Chemistry4me]

And the costs of getting rid of it when its finished with.

Burning it? []
Which brings us back to where we started?

[lyner]

Not everyone is able to burn their rubbish.
Is that the best way to deal with it, anyway?

[Chemistry4me]

You got any good ideas?

[lyner]

Only use what you want (don't have one every day) and recycle.

[Chemistry4me]

Recycling?
Do you have to do that yourself or does the local council help you? []

[lyner]

I should have included 're-use', which you can do yourself but the local council take our glass, cardboard, paper and cans away and claim to recycle it. I believe much of it goes to landfill - or that may just be a vicious rumour.

[Chemistry4me]

You mean that they actually recycle it?

[Lincon]

Hi guys,

Technology is a broad concept that deals with an animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an animal species' ability to control and adapt to its environment.

NYK

[Chemistry4me]

Huh? []

[lyner]

You mean that they actually recycle it?

At least the glass gets done, I think.