With that knowledge that I am not yet familiar with the rest of the discussion on this site in mind let me say that while I see the value of the Internet’s ability to limit our production of more and more stuff, a discussion about the online world’s environmental benefits has to delve much deeper. When we examine how we can save on resource extraction and utilization, we also have to think about the energy required to power the online world. Sometimes our examinations of our carbon footprints end after we’ve locked our car (or shunned it for a bike or public transit). We need to also think about the source of energy we require to power our server farms and run our equipment, as well as the materials used in our technology. That last note is more important than we think. Resources such as Coltan, for example, are skyrocketing in value. As the mineral becomes more lucrative, we need to pay closer attention to the impacts its extraction has both on the human environment (in terms of resource wars akin to those more commonly associated with the diamond trade) and the natural environment (considering the impact of coltan extraction on gorilla habitats and other sensitive areas).

Nonetheless, I appreciate the goal of this post, and, as I suggested, you may have discussed some of these other issues elsewhere on your blog (and if so, I look forward to reading those posts). Thanks for sharing this thought and for reminding us of the importance of dematerialization.