Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
'driveby tree' by Lorrie McClanahan (Flickr)
Jason Kottke notes that some people are including the line “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail” (or some variation) in their e-mail signatures. Looking back, I found a couple e-mails sent to me that have that signature. How about this: trees are a renewable resource — my time isn’t. If you treat your e-mails to me as an opportunity to berate me with holier-than-thou ecocentrism, don’t be surprised if I pay you as much attention as I would a street preacher forecasting humanity’s imminent doom.
But you didn’t even notice until someone told you about it. I fail to see how it’s wasting your time until you had to complain about it. Also, who prints emails?
Yeah, this is more of a shot across the bow, in case people were thinking of jumping on board. I certainly don’t print e-mails, but some people do. You know, the ones who get prints of all their digital photos.
Jason, I hate those preachers as much as anyone but you and them have a choice as to whether or not you kneel down and pray, but you do not have the choice to breath and drink, but hey, maybe some of would be better off if people like you did not!
Well, Pete, maybe some people would be better off if holier-than-thou environmentalists considered the consequences of what they advocate.
Like anyone who got malaria because of a DDT ban. Or anyone kept poor because of increasing restrictions on trade and industry.
How many trees are we planting vs. forests we’re destroying?
Not enough for homo sapiens to breathe safely and animals to thrive.
You’re not quite getting the big picture my friends.
There is eminent doom only if people keep ignoring the facts and “good people do nothing”. It’s not holier-than-thou: don’t take it so personal, why so defensive?. The advocates are looking out for everyone and giving a voice to that which does not have a voice.
DDT is a toxin. Surely science could have come up with something less poisonous (another “quick-fix)solution to every living creature? Comparing apples with pears is not “fruitful”!
I know someone who has that byline on their emails. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it but I guess people do print things out to read them!
Well, this just got too big for me to read on the screen, I am going print it so I can read it and formulate a response to post it here!
By the way. ops, let me abbreviate it so it takes less paper when I print it!
BTW, did you guys notice the new service Google is providing for all those echo-advocates!
Check it out!
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/paper/more.html
check this out:
http://www.pctebp.com
That’s a great line - I’ll be plagiarizing it in my personal emails for sure:
trees are a renewable resource — my time isn’t
by the way - I don’t think having a one-liner that advocates personal responsibility is hardly a time waster, but I get the point…
Unfortunately, like with DDT and malaria, environmentalists typically end up doing more harm than good. Paper comes from renewable forests.
Less paper used => less forests
You all think way too much of your selves if you believe your time is so valuable. If you slow down and appreciate nature, you may just find time can not be quantified in terms of value. More Type A personalities => less good in the world.
So when you are in a hurry, slow down!!!
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hear it fall, can we still print on it?
Green is the new gold!!!
The more green ==> Less paper
Mark,
If your time is so valuable, how can it be that you waste it complaining about this green message.
Another question: How long does it take to read the line: “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail” ?
Rod
It was annoying me. It’s almost always worth my time to get something off my chest that is annoying me.