Printing graduate papers costs 70,000 trees a year in China   

高校畢業生人均打印7份論文 每年消耗7萬棵樹

臨近5月，高校畢業生在為最后的答辯做準備，各大高校周邊的復印店生意火了起來，畢業生都在打印畢業論文�！斗ㄖ仆韴蟆酚浾呓�日采訪發現，畢業生答辯時，需要準備四五本紙質版論文用于評審，而之前的修改，至少需要打印兩次。平均一個畢業生需要打印7本紙質版論文。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Excessive printing of graduation theses during graduation season is putting enormous pressure on the country's forest resources, the Beijing-based Mirror Evening News reported.

Kong Qiang, an undergraduate student, said his 30-page thesis was printed three times for his professor's modifications. For the final thesis defense, he has to print another seven copies to the seven members of the thesis defense committee.

The newspaper said a student has to print seven copies of their thesis on average. Altogether 7.27 million students will graduate this year, and all their theses will use up 4,000 tons of paper. More than 70,000 20-year-old trees will be cut to satisfy the demand.

"It is a huge waste," Kong said.

Printing shops near universities are crowded with students, and one shop owner boasted the paper used in his shop is all made from pulp of good wood.

A professor at the University of International Business and Economics said hard copies are for academic use and thesis reviewers can more easily write their comments, compared to electronic versions.

And all thesis papers will be filed as performance records for students.