Shopping online could help planet

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Holiday shopping online could save more than time. Researchers say it might also help save the planet.

A holiday-themed study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory suggests that even a modest number of shopping trips to the mall can create a large volume of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles - the so-called greenhouse gases linked to global warming in the atmosphere.

"Using several assumptions and data from several authoritative sources, we can reasonably estimate that nearly a half-billion kilograms of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere by shopping online," environmental researcher Jesse Miller said Thursday.

That's roughly 500,000 metric tons, according to the scientist at the Department of Energy research complex.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Blogging & the Internet • Climate Change, Weather • * Economics, Politics • Economy

8 Comments
Posted December 23, 2007 at 3:36 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. MJD_NV wrote:

Wow, a way to save the planet and not even get out of your jammies!  I’m all over that! wink

December 23, 4:39 pm | [comment link]
2. selah wrote:

Hmmm…I can travel five miles to the local Virginia mall or order my items from California and have them shipped to me.

I’m not so sure that we have a net reduction in green-house gasses.

(And that’s assuming that I’m ordering everything from the same online store, so as to avoid deliveries from CA, MA, NC, and FL.)

December 23, 5:01 pm | [comment link]
3. Vintner wrote:

I did all of my Christmas shopping online this year with the exception of some stocking stuffers for my wife in a town five miles from here with all four stores right next to each other.  Most stress-free shopping Christmas I’ve ever spent!  And now I find I’m green to boot!  Maybe Al Gore will send me a Christmas Card.

December 23, 5:32 pm | [comment link]
4. libraryjim wrote:

Ok, it also reduces the number of employees hired, as there is no need for an existing store, only a warehouse.

Yet, there still has to be a fleet of trucks bringing items TO that warehouse, a fleet of trucks carrying them out to the distribution facilities, a fleet of planes to deliver them to your city, and a fleet of trucks to bring them to your doorstep.

By the way, I’m still waiting for my on-line purcheses (order now to ensure delivery before Dec. 24) to come.  The purchases my kids made at Wal-Mart and Target are already wrapped!

December 23, 7:36 pm | [comment link]
5. Chris wrote:

allow me to plug Sierra Trading Post (http://www.sierratradingpost.com), which offers high quality clothing at extremely discounted prices.  It is also an inherently Christian organization:  http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/founding_story.html

December 24, 7:59 am | [comment link]
6. libraryjim wrote:

Chris,
I had heard of Sierra Trading Post, but didn’t know it was a Christian-run organization!

Thanks for the info!

Jim

December 24, 5:17 pm | [comment link]
7. libraryjim wrote:

Probably too late now, but:
Another online organization is Creative Irish Gifts at ShopIrish.com, a portion of the proceeds go to the Irish Children’s Fund:

Creative Irish Gifts supports the activities of the Irish Children’s Fund, Inc. (ICF), a not-for-profit organization that fosters understanding between Protestant and Catholic youngsters in the troubled areas of Belfast. Both non-political and interdenominational, the ICF has enriched the lives of 3,000 children since its founding in 1982.

Peace!
Jim E. <><

December 28, 1:52 pm | [comment link]
8. libraryjim wrote:

I meant to type:

Another worth-while online organization that helps people as opposed to just providing goods easier is ....

December 28, 1:53 pm | [comment link]
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