© by Susan Burkhalter
September 25, 2008
Now that many people use computers, most organizations of which I’m a member send their newsletters electronically. I don’t mind their saving paper by this action, but I hope that daily newspapers continue to be printed. Here’s why:
Our family has always subscribed to “The Washington Post” newspaper, which is delivered daily. I read that in a poll taken recently, only 20% of people under age 30 said they regularly read newspapers. I habitually read the paper and would feel strange if I couldn’t. I don’t like to look for a long time at things on an electronic screen, it causes eyestrain.
Before going into the many uses of newspapers other than for reading, I will tell how the special paper used for newspapers, called “newsprint,” is made:
I found this information on “Wikipedia” online: “Newsprint is low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, plus other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use on printing presses that employ a long web of paper (web offset, letterpress and flexographic) rather than individual sheets of paper. [How it is made]: “newsprint is generally made by a mechanical milling process, without the chemical processes that are often used to remove lignin from the pulp. (The lignin causes the paper to rapidly become brittle and yellow when exposed to air and or sunlight.) (1) Traditionally, newsprint was made from fibers extracted from various softwood species of trees (most commonly, spruce, fir, balsam or pine). However, an increasing percentage of the world’s newsprint is made with recycled fibers. “ “Wikipedia” then notes, regarding recycling, that “some of the fiber that enters any recycled pulp mill is lost in pulping, due to inefficiencies inherent in the process . . . [Also] The American Forest & Paper Association estimates that more than 72% of newsprint produced in North America in 2006 was recovered for re-use or export, with about 58% of that going back to a paper or paperboard mill for re-use . . .” Wikipedia says that since recycled newspapers have other uses, too, “AFPA estimates that about a third goes back into newsprint manufacture . . .” [demand for newsprint] Among the biggest factors depressing demand for newsprint in North America have been the decline in newspaper readership among many sectors of the population – particularly young adults – along with increasing competition for advertising business from the Internet and other media . . .”
To show how much things have changed, “The World Book Encyclopedia”, © 1957, tells how newspapers were printed then. I paraphrase from World Book: “Linotypers were men who set stories in type. Another set of men took the metal type, called slugs,
and set it in frames the size of the newspaper page. In those days, the circulation of newspapers for the entire world was 240 million copies daily, and Great Britain led the world with ‘615 copies sold daiy for every one thousand population.’ “
Now that I’ve explained how newsprint is made and provided some facts about newspapers, I will tell why I hope the production of newspapers will be preserved. We recycle most of our newspapers every week—they are picked up at the curb. We always keep a stack handy for uses such as these:
1. as packing material in boxes you mail
2. to lay on the floor for messy work, such as gluing an art project or applying nailpolish
3. to make newspaper hats in the shape of a boat, which I learned to do as a child
4. for washing windows: Use an ammonia and water mixture in which you dip a sheet of newspaper to scrub the glass, then dry the glass with a dry piece of newspaper. The lead in the newsprint makes them sparkle!
5. to lay on your garden on the dirt where you have just pulled up weeds. Held down with a few rocks, it keeps weeds from coming up and biodegrades later.
6. to make inexpensive patterns for sewing costumes.
7. as a liner for the bottom of a birdcage, if you have a bird (we don’t).
8. something in which to wrap “Fish ‘n’ Chips”
9. for clean-up if you own a dog or cat, or for paper-training a puppy
10. to cover up an area you don’t want painted when spray-painting.
Can anyone in BACHorgan-land think of additional uses for newspapers?
Without newspapers, you would not be able to chirp merrily, “See you in the funny papers!” as my father used to say. Also you wouldn’t be able to save clippings to mail to your adult children or to hang on the refrigerator with magnets.
Recently I ordered the book, “The Life of J.S. Bach,” which Our Leader Dan Long recommended that we read. I’ll report on it later. Sometime soon I also hope to read about Albert Schweitzer and tell you about him!