"paperless" doesn't not save trees....

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I have been thinking about this for some time now and if finally resulted in my decision that "paperless" and "go green" in some cases...mean nothing other than shifting WHO pays the price. Case in point. Banks, credit cards...places that have monthly statements, and bills...tell you "save a tree, go paperless" and often if you don't they charge you a fee to have the statement sent to you every month. They tell us it is for the environment and save a tree etc. I have determined, unless I am missing something, that this is so not true and just a scam for these places to pad their profit pockets. Take a credit card statement. Every month, they'd send you your statement with the coupon to tear off to return with your payment. And they say...just download it and pay on line...save paper, save trees, save the environment. Okay, we believe that but then...stop and think it through. If they don't send you a statement you have to print one out yourself. So now..You are using paper so that you aren't saving a tree..only thing that has changed is that you are the one footing the bill for the paper and ink, not the credit card company. The company has been sucessful in escaping that expense and shifting it to now it is your expense...all the while they often charge HIGH interest rates, monthly fees or services charges. How does that help save a tree? Then..now that you have footed the bill to print the statement and coupon...you tear the coupon off, and mail it back with your payment. Okay, well, now they want you to pay on line. Okay, so you pay on line..and what does that help? Only the credit card company as they get their payment instantly and it is taken out of your bank account instantly. If you mail a check, you can get a few more days interest until they cash the check and it clears...they are stealing your interest and getting your money sooner so that they can bank it and collect interest on it! How does that save a tree or the environment? Then, since they aren't mailing you a statement with USPS postage, and since you are paying online you aren't paying USPS postage, so the USPS postal service looses money on both ends, which is one of the reasons the USPS is going bankrupt today. And that saves a tree how? Then, since they aren't doing the mass mailings each month of the statements..there is at least one or two people that have been sent to the unemployment line....probably more. Alot is automated, but still...a real live person has to be there to push the buttons or tell the machine what to do when...so "paperless" has contributed to unemployment. Plus...now YOU are doing the work that person would have been doing...and you are doing it for free while that person is in the unemployment line. A salary not being paid goes right back into the companys bank account...where's that saved tree or the better environment? So to summarize..."paperless"...gives the company more money thus increasing their profits as it saves the company from the expense of paper, ink, employee salarys, postage, and adds interest income to their profit line. PLUS...the monthly service fees they charge you just to have the account so you can give them your money to hold on to till you need it and to use their "service". I still don't see a saved tree. However...it COSTS you as you now have to pay for the paper, ink, work for free and loose interest income. It costs the postal service as they now have lost income on postage, both to and from the company and you. People have lost their jobs. ANd if you are spending more on things like this and people are unemployed because of it...the economy suffers as there is no money to spend on things that matter to the economy...and I still don't see a tree being saved or a better environment atmosphere.... All I see is the banks/credit card companys and anyone else that goes "paperless" to customers...all I see is THEM making more money, US paying the price, unemployement and the USPS going bankrupt....and no trees saved. Thank you very much "paperless". I have not gone paperless on anything...send me a bill if you want payment!!! I want to keep the USPS in service, I want people to keep their jobs and I want to cut my expenses as my income gets cut and I want to earn that little bit of income that helps in the long run. What about you? DO you really think "paperless" saves trees? I know some might not print out their statement and just keep it on line, and pay online and save the statement to the computer and all, but still... you might not be using any paper and ink...but you are contributing to the other things...and odds are you will use that paper and ink on something else anyway! Save the trees? I just don't see it! Do you?