Please Consider the Environment

I’ve noticed this email signature showing up in more and more emails lately:

Please consider the environment before printing this email

Why not print the email if I want/need to?  My take on this whole idea is that trees are a renewable resource.  I have a small inclination to print each email that sports that tagline and send it via USPS to the sender.  The only problem with that is it costs nearly $.50 to send anything in the mail these days.

Now, don’t get me (too) wrong.  I’m not for throwing trash out the window of the car unless there’s a prison crew cleaning up trash on the side of the road.  (Hey, they need to be kept busy – my tax dollars are paying for their A/C and cable TV)  In other words, pollution isn’t cool.  But at the same time, I’m not going to put anybody down for driving a gas-guzzling pickup truck or SUV.  If that’s what they want, and they can afford the gas, I’ll cheer them on.

Anyway, I’m getting a little off the subject.  This signature has come from people that seem to me to be the know-it-all, or holier-than-thou type.  That is, in the emails I’ve personally received that include the signature.  To me it’s ridiculous.  Again, trees are a renewable resource.  They’re always going to be around.  I haven’t researched this out myself, but some say that if we don’t use paper, there aren’t as many trees because when trees are cut down for paper, more are planted in their place.  Maybe they’re planted more densely?  I’m not sure.  I do know, however, that new trees are growing all the time.  In fact, I have 5 or 6 growing in my back yard right now.  So there – I’m allowed to print emails now.