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Amazon.com's speedy delivery of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" set a record for the on-line provision of goods in volume. it also raised serious questions about the impact of e-commerce on the environment. An article in IEEE Spectrum magazine considers that impact, in a detailed analysis of the effects of transportation systems, packing materials, and other parameters. The authors don't blame Amazon.com--or Harry Potter--for global climate change, but indicate that the net effect of current e-commerce systems may not be as environmentally benign as most are assuming.

Contact: H. Scott Matthews, [email protected]; Tekla S. Perry, 650 328 7570, [email protected].For faxed copies of the complete article ["Harry Potter and the health of the environment," by H. Scott Matthews, Chris Hendrickson, and Lester Lave, IEEE Spectrum, November 2000, pp. 20-22] or to arrange an interview, contact: Nancy T. Hantman, 212 419 7561, [email protected].

URL: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org

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Electronic Commerce Energy Conservation Global Warming Environmental Effects
COMMENTS | COMMENTING POLICY