Dennis,

I'm glad you brought this subject up. Emerald Chapter, NARGS, e-mails its
newsletters in color to nearly all members. However, some of our older
members without computers must receive a paper copy, which is in black and
white.

I e-mail my catalog to most customers, but there are those for whom, for
whatever reason, need to receive paper copies. I have discovered that
there are still a lot of us in very rural areas who cannot get high-speed
internet and must rely on dial-up.

Cable is out. I don't have a television and cannot justify the expense.
When and if Frontier provides the DSL option, I will probably sign up,
although it irks me no end because since they took over from Verizon, the
dial-up service has seriously deteriorated. I hear DSL has as well, if
they are in rural areas. Our ISP has made formal complaint to no avail.

PBS has some options but they are not viable for everyone. Smaller press
runs cost more, generally speaking. By the way, I'm not speaking for PBS
on this - I've based it on our experience with NARGS Emerald Chapter. And
I could still be wrong...

I, for one, prefer paper. I do not have unlimited capacity for storing
electronic files. In looking up a subject stored on paper, I stumble
across others and can refresh my memory or answer a number of questions at
the same time.

There is really a misunderstanding of the word "green". Coming form an
accounting background, the powers that be would have us believe that
"green" is good. It is not always. An electric car, for example, does
reduce the use of oil and other oil-based products, but it still has a
high consumption of energy. It has to be recharged. Where does that
electricity come from? From coal-fired plants, from hydro power, and
other sources that are do not regenerate. Wind farms are not the most
efficient source and they are a serious detriment to animals and the
environment. Computer manufacturing uses up resources that are difficult
to recover, and the search and mining for rare earth minerals can be
devastating.

Paper can last 200 or more years. There is serious debate about how long
a CD lasts, probably a few years at most, with proper storage. Microfiche
lasts about 100 years. Then searching computer archives a hundred years
from now is quite likely to be problematic. The US government has many
years of Social Security records on tape that it no longer has the
equipment to read in any large capacity, if at all.

At least I can recycle my nursery pots and poly greenhouse covering, and
my used soil mix. And I can pass on my paper journals to those who are
interested, including, to my amazement, a daughter and a grandson who have
discovered a serious interest in gardening.

For those who are willing and able to receive electronic media, I say have
at it. For others, it's problematic. One final note - and perhaps Jane
McGary and Jane Merryman can answer this one. The setup for printing a
paper catalog differs clearly from setup for e-mailing. Would this be a
problem?

Robin Hansen
Hansen Nursery
briefly clear and sunny and 33 F
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Kramb
To: Pacific Bulb Society
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 8:05 AM
Subject: [pbs] membership renewal

Is there any talk of PBS offering a cheaper, greener membership level?
One
where the newsletters/bulletins are emailed electronically rather than
printed, published, and mailed via USPS?

I ask because it's that time of year to renew my membership... and it'd
be
really cool to have this option. Honestly speaking I don't save my
newsletters/bulletins from any society (except for the Aril Society's
yearbooks which are just too awesome for words). I used to try to save
everything, but it became a burden, and a downright mess in my household.

But if I had them electronically in PDF format, well that would be
another
story (one with a happy ending!).

Dennis in Cincinnati
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