really better for the environment than just using a couple paper towels?
I'm not trying to be funny here. I feel like, despite being called energy efficient, those blowers expend a lot of energy each use while instead we could use 2-3 paper towels which uses no energy/electricity. We can plant trees too to replenish those cut down and used for those paper towels. We can't reverse energy usage.
Discuss.
I'm in environmental and study econ as a hobby. I highly doubt they're not more efficient. I also doubt they make enough of an appreciable difference to matter. I hate the things as well (wet hands pet peeve).
I read a NBER study a while back that claimed that walking more than approximately 2 miles a day was more invasive to the environment than driving a car to work due to need.
There is a whole lot involved in the paper making process, from heavy equipment cutting down trees to sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate production involved to make white liquor, which is then used in the pulp and thus paper production process...
Each of these steps require energy to produce and transport. I've toured the largest North American paper producing plant several times, and it has to consume a load of energy. Then they have to put the stuff on rails and trucks to get to the end destination. Plus all the calories burned by all those drivers...
I doubt you would be able to find a comprehensive study to prove it either way, but there's way too many variables to calculate it accurately. How many paper towels end up going to waste-to-energy plants? Do they actually produce carbon gasses upon decomposition? What about all those oil-based plastic bags that collect your paper towels? What power source(s) are running the electric dryers? How efficient is the grid? Is the power coming from 300 miles away and losing %%% of joules along the way?
There are 3 places to put waste. In the water, soil, and air. It's also easiest to control waste at the production level, which is what we mainly do. Think federal CAFE standards (we have a ton of regulations for other private sector, public-private, and public sectors such as the military). It's a lot easier to control pollution/energy input at the power plant/manufacturing level than at the distribution, consumption, and waste levels. The energy grid has a profit motive to increase efficiency; individuals don't have so much incentive with a 1/10th of a cent paper towel.
tl;dnr
Short answer: Yes.
