Visualizing '80 million checks a month

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s declaration that the federal government sends out approximately 80 million checks a month got me thinking. 80 million checks a month would mean that the US Government sends out approximately 960 million checks a year* right?

So assuming that an average check is about 6 inches long, 960 million checks would equal 480 million feet worth of checks per year or 90,909.09 miles worth of checks.

Laid side by side lengthwise, yearly American checks would wrap over three and a half times around the earth at the equator.

So what have we learned from this exercise? The amount of paper used in the course of government spending is clearly leading to deforestation.

Stop government spending. Save the rainforest.

*Before it starts, yes, I’m aware of direct deposit.