Emerging research, published in the prestigious Journal of Industrial Ecology, (and available for free in full text at http://mitpress.mit.edu/JIE/e-commerce ), is beginning to move expert understanding beyond opposing assertions. This complex and more nuanced understanding suggests that:
These insights emerge from a special issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology on E-commerce, the Internet and the Environment. The Journal is a peer-reviewed international quarterly published by MIT Press and owned by Yale University.
Articles in the special issue analyze the environmental consequences of telecommuting and assess the transformation of the wholesale, warehouse and retail sectors of the economy by network technology. The environmental impact of conventional and electronic approaches to grocery shopping, book selling and scholarly journals are compared and the possibility of using product tags to improve recycling is explored. The research ranges from the U.S. to Germany, from Finland to Japan.
David Rejeski, Director of the Foresight and Governance Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. served as the guest editor for the special issue. Support for the special issue was provided by AT&T and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Journalists, students, and representatives from developing countries or non-governmental organizations can request a print copy of the special issue by writing to indecol@yale.edu .
The Journal of Industrial Ecology
Homepage: http://mitpress.mit.edu/JIE
Telephone: 203-432-6949 Fax: 203-432-5556
E-mail: indecol@yale.edu
Journal of Industrial Ecology