In 2025, Instagram, unfortunately, has become the media of choice for many in some countries like Chile. The rising dependence on social media for information is accelerating a worrisome decline in the quality of journalism, and in the depth and veracity of popular awareness about many topics. Yet, some applaud this trend by suggesting that digital media is more sustainable because it avoids cutting down trees. That conclusion would be wrong.

 

Patagon Journal utilizes paper environmentally certified from sustainable sources, and in doing so are significant net contributors to forest protection and the fight against climate change.

 

Certification bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) have strict requirements, such as maintaining biodiversity and the ecological health of forests and protecting and conserving high-value forests. Creating a market for products from sustainably managed forests also motivates landowners to move away from uncontrolled, ecosystem-destroying deforestation.

 

According to a 2020 report by the FSC, their certified forests in Europe alone (over 80 million hectares) sequester approximately 1.2 billion tons of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of several industrialized nations. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that certified sustainable forest management is producing the “greatest sustained mitigation benefit” by maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks.

 

Did you know that data centers hosting digital content consumed about 2% of global electricity in 2022? Just viewing for 30 minutes social media or digital publications on a smartphone can emit 0.3-0.7 kg CO2e due to device and server energy use. And the production of devices for digital consumption (like smartphones or laptops) requires energy-intensive mining. And then there is the problem of electronic waste (e-waste) – studies show more than 80% of digital devices are not recycled but instead generate environmental harm from toxic substances like heavy metals.

 

Meantime, reading a print magazine requires no additional energy, and collectable magazines like Patagon Journal are shared and read for years and years by multiple people. Other print publications, like newspapers, can be recycled. 

 

Viva (long live) magazines and books published on ecologically-certified paper!