Are Paper Receipts Headed for Extinction?

Around the Environmental Paper Network, there's always lots of nerdy "paper talk." But for some reason, this week, there's been a noteworthy amount of chatter and buzz coming in about paper receipts.

What's up?

You may already know that thermal receipt paper can not be recycled. Strike one.

Now, there are new concerns. Organizations such as Practice Greenhealth, the folks at ScienceNews.com and bloggers such as the EcoMoms have become quite alarmed at the revelation that many paper receipts are coated with BPA (bisphenol A) and in a manner that allows it to end up all over your fingers after you've stuffed it in a pocket or into a trash bin. The EcoWomen break it down,

1. There are two types of paper used in cash register receipts: bond which is plain paper like what you write on and thermal-coated which is coated with a chemical that reveals marks when struck–this is the more popular type of receipt paper because it doesn’t require ink–the cash register merely bangs the information onto the receipt and the thermal coating reacts to the impact and heat, creating the images on the paper.

2. BPA was created to coat plastic in 1939. BPA is used to stabilize the chemicals on thermal-coated paper so the receipt paper doesn’t take on every mark from every single thing touching it, and it better preserves the marks on the paper.

Wikipedia can tell you about the health concerns and controversy surrounding Bisphenol A, HERE. Strike two.

And the question becomes, are paper receipts really the most convenient, efficient and secure way to serve customers. The folks writing over at SoftwareAdvice.com think that some of the electronic solutions are a better way to go for everyone. They are hosting a poll this month asking readers to, "please kill the paper receipt." You can vote here.

So, a more convenient alternative exists for most paper receipt uses? By my count that's strike three, and......

Let us know what you think. Please leave a comment below.

Chill Out! Campus Solutions to Global Warming Webcast

The RePaper Project, a project of the EPN, is proud to partner with the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program's Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming webcast. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day! Celebrate by hosting a free webcast at your school or organization that offers inspiring stories of colleges and universities who are making a difference against climate change today!

Chill Out showcases colleges that are cutting their carbon footprint and working towards a sustainable future. The Chill Out webcast is the perfect organizing tool to host on its own or with other Earth Day activities. The free 30 minute webcast will be available beginning on April 21 and will be available through the summer. Bring this free webcast to your campus or organization! Tune in and Chill Out this Earth Day. For more information and to register go to:

www.campuschillout.org

New: The Paper Steps - On Campus

The RePaper Project, a project of the Environmental Paper Network, released a new resource today entitled Paper Steps on Campus: 9 Steps to Protecting the Climate and Reducing Waste through Campus Paper Policies.

The guide, compiled in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and Recycling Organizations of North America, is an essential resource for colleges and universities instituting sustainability initiatives on campus. Far beyond simple paper recycling advice, it is a comprehensive tool for campuses committed to pushing their climate and sustainability practices to the next level.

“Even if your campus has sustainability measures in place,” commented Pam Blackledge, RePaper Project Coordinator and one of the authors of the guide, “implementing one or more of the nine steps outlined in this guide will help you maximize your commitment to the environment. Updating paper policies using this guide offers a huge opportunity to cut costs, cut waste, and cut your campus carbon footprint.”

The collegiate community has been a leader in sustainability programs. When it comes to recovering paper for recycling, however, we need to improve. According to a National Wildlife Federation report, 40-50% of the solid waste stream from campuses is paper. Much of the paper being used on campus is typically white, office grade paper. Therefore, campuses are well poised to make a significant impact not only on how that paper is disposed, but how it is made, purchased and sourced.

According to Jack DeBell, one of the founders of Recycling Organizations of North America and director of CU Recycling in Boulder, “Campuses are positioned to make a dramatic impact on recycling. To receive maximum environmental benefit, high-grade paper from our campuses should follow a unique recycling path so that it can re-enter the market as high-quality recycled office paper.”

"Many colleges in the U.S. have sprawling campuses and transportation systems, which leads to large carbon footprints that endanger the health of our environment,” said Kristy Jones, Senior Manager of National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Climate Education and Action. “However, many schools are proving to their communities that sustainability is not merely possible--going green can save the campuses money. The Paper Steps on Campus guide will help campuses continue these successes by increasing efficiency of paper usage."

Paper Steps on Campus creates yet another opportunity for the collegiate community to be a leader in sustainability. Implementing environmental paper policies will not only improve a campus’s carbon footprint and reduce waste, but will also, through ethical procurement policies, support businesses developing innovative marketplace solutions necessary for the low-carbon economy 21st century.

To download Paper Steps on Campus, please follow this link:
http://www.environmentalpaper.org/repaperprojectforms/campusguidepaper.html.

To find out more information about the RePaper Project, visit www.repaperproject.org.

Indonesian Paper Giant APRIL’s Certification Status Suspended

SmartWood, an independent forest management certifier, has suspended the interim certification of Asia Paper Resources International Limited (APRIL) pulp products. The paper giant failed to meet the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)’s minimum standard for "controlled wood" certification. The disciplinary action came after APRIL was found to have violated FSC’s controlled wood standard, including prohibitions against conversion of rainforests to create paper plantations, destruction of High Conservation Value Forests, including peatlands, and conflicts with communities.

APRIL’s loss of its certified status means that both of Indonesia’s leading pulp and paper companies, which together account for more than 80 percent of Indonesia’s production, have failed to meet the third party certification body’s lowest bar for environmental and social risk. The FSC disassociated itself altogether from APRIL’s rival and Indonesia’s largest paper producer, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), in 2007.

“SmartWood is finally validating what communities have known all along,” said Syahrizal community leader of the village of Teluk Meranti and founding member of the Riau Province Community Council for Peatlands (Dewan Jaringan Masyarakat Gambut Riau). “APRIL is failing to respect communities’ rights, appropriating our traditional lands and cutting down the forests we rely on for our food, shelter and livelihoods.”

APRIL’s interim FSC certification, awarded just one year ago, has been widely viewed as a test to see if the controversial industry giant could reach the minimum standard used in FSC certified products. Following today’s suspension, the company will have the opportunity to try to rectify its failures before its controlled wood certificate is entirely revoked. To even be considered eligible for re-certification, APRIL must demonstrate to Smart Wood auditors that they have stopped all conversion of natural forest within ten days.

“This means that until practices on the ground drastically improve, pulp and paper products from Indonesia must be off limits to anyone who cares about human rights, the climate or rainforests,” said Lafcadio Cortesi of Rainforest Action Network, a member of the Environmental Paper Network. “...if you’re a paper purchaser, it’s just too controversial to buy from either APRIL or APP.”

According to conservation groups, paper companies have already severed ties based on their own due diligence – Finnish paper giant UPM Kymmene cancelled its contract with APRIL estimated at $US33 million in November 2009. With eroding market and investor confidence, APRIL may find itself in the position of rival APP that since 2008 lost an estimated US$300 million in annual sales with customers such as Office Depot, Unisource, Gucci Group, Ricoh and Corporate Express due to social and environmental concerns. Leading civil society organizations in Indonesia have called for buyers and investors in the Indonesia pulp and paper sector to require fundamental reforms before conducting further business with the sector.

More information at WALHI Riau www.walhi.or.id and Scale Up www.scale-up.or.id

Starbucks Shareholder Initiative on Recycling Gets Denied

A couple of years ago I was on the road in Richmond, Virginia and stopped in a Starbucks for access to wi-fi and a fill up of caffeine. While there, I asked the youthful barista, "Do you have recycling?," to which she replied, "...no, but will you fill out a comment card that tells the company to change that?" This made me smile.

I told them I'd be glad to, and I'd do one better, and write to the company management in charge of sustainability, I happened to have a business card. This was four years ago, and my letters were met with commitments to look into it, and I felt I had gallantly helped a few good kids get the recycling bins they wanted. Recently, I returned to this area and stopped in, and was disheartened to see that there still was not any recycling in this store. Its clear we've still got a lot of work to do to make recycling, including paper recycling, more available, even within the doors of companies with programs which are trying to do the right thing.

And paper coffee cups is a BIG issue. They are on the move and hard to collect, difficult to pulp and recycle, and we use a LOT of them. See this work of art from Chris Jordan. The 410,000 paper cups stacked together in the photo depict the number of disposable cups Americans use every 15 minutes. Jordan added a silhouette of two people as a scale reference.

That's why last week, Environmental Paper Network member organization, As You Sow and shareholders of Starbucks introduced a strong resolution at this years annual investors meeting to accelerate Starbucks' recycling initiatives. According to the Seattle Times...

"The measure lost, as expected, but about 11 percent of Starbucks shareholders voted in favor, which activists hope will get the company's attention.....

Conrad MacKerron, who helped write the measure for the As You Sow Foundation in San Francisco, said he was "happily surprised" at the 11 percent vote.

Similar proposals that the nonprofit put before Coca-Cola and PepsiCo won less than 10 percent. Both companies started negotiations with the group as a result, and have announced major recycling initiatives.

MacKerron wants Starbucks to do the same.

In many ways, he said, Starbucks is "ahead of the game, like paying benefits even to part-time workers, but they're really not in a leadership position on this issue."

A couple of Starbucks officials told him Wednesday they want to keep talking, but were not specific. MacKerron hopes they will, and said, "One incentive is they wouldn't like this to be repeated next year on their proxy statement."

To improve its track record on this issue, Starbucks is partnering with the betacup on an online contest to develop the best idea for redesigning the coffee cup and massively reducing paper cup use. Starbucks is sponsoring the contest as part of its stated aim to serve 100 percent of its hand-crafted beverages in reusable or recyclable cups by 2015.

The contest will take place on the betacup's partner platform jovoto.com, a leading mass collaboration community for innovators and creatives. Anyone can submit an idea on how to reduce paper cup consumption and promote adoption of environmentally-friendly alternatives. Ideas will be open to the public for discussion, and community members and jurors will be able to provide feedback, allowing collaborators to refine and update their submissions through June 15, when the contest comes to a close.

Starbucks has provided $20,000 in cash prizes to be awarded for the most innovative ideas. The participant who submits the best idea, determined by an expert panel, will receive a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, participants whose ideas are among the top five selected by the community of collaborators will each be awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Betacup from the betacup on Vimeo.

Unnecessary and Tragic Death in Bahia Eucalyptus Plantations

This morning we are sharing a statement about the tragic death of Henrique Souza Pereira in Fibria’s eucalyptus plantations from Sócio-Environmental Fórum of the Extreme South of Bahia and the Alert against the Green Desert Network (March 23, 2010).

Armed security force of Fibria (Aracruz) kills local villager in Bahia

With this statement, we express our enormous outrage about the death of 24-years old Henrique Souza Pereira, who was killed on 16 March 2010. According to Fibria´s press release (Fibria is the former Aracruz Celulose and partner of Stora Enso in the Veracel Celulose company), a team of GARRA, the private ‘security’ company of Fibria, shot Henrique, alleging that he was stealing wood and ‘acting aggressively’ when he was requested to leave an area with eucalyptus trees. But the father of Henrique, Osvaldo Pereira Bezerra declared in an interview with a local newspaper, he was accompanying Henrique on a motorcycle going home when the conflict happened. During the incident, the security force broke the arm of Henrique’s father.

Continue reading....

Indonesian NGOs Respond to Asia Pulp and Paper PR Campaign

Recently, the Paper Planet reported on a letter from North American NGO's to printers and other paper buyers warning about environmental risk associated with Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and its cleverly named paper distributor, Eagle Ridge Paper. Today, The Jakarta Post is reporting that as Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) took the podium today at the 12th Annual RISI pulp and paper conference to promote their corporate responsibility and paper products, leading Indonesian NGO’s called on buyers and investors of APP to reject the company’s misinformation and stop purchasing or financing the company until it met conditions articulated in an open letter calling for reforms in Indonesia’s pulp and paper sector. Download a copy of the letter here.

Long a controversial company, APP has recently stepped up its public relations efforts with a series of infomercials touting its environmental and social accomplishments and misleading certification claims. These moves may be an effort to pave the way for the company’s anticipated issuing of bonds and a possible initial public offering (IPO) of its Chinese division, and comes at the same time as new investments in direct sales capacity in Europe and North American paper markets. In the early 2000’s, APP defaulted on a debt of more than U.S. $13 billion and became Asia’s biggest bankruptcy. In the aftermath of the bankruptcy, significant legal, social and environmental risks associated with the company’s pulp production, natural forest clearance and pulpwood sourcing operations emerged.

Despite this, APP continues business as usual, having done little to mitigate the negative impacts of its pulp and paper operations. For example, APP continues to clear large areas of natural forest in Kerumutan’s deep peat and Bukit Tigapuluh in Sumatra despite objections by local communities and NGOs. Destroying these peat forests is impoverishing indigenous communities that have customary ownership of these ecosystems and also causing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions as the forest is cleared and drained peat soils oxidize. Further forest loss in Bukit Tigapuluh threatens the survival of two indigenous tribes and Sumatran tigers, elephants and orangutans.

“We’re trying to set the record straight for APP’s customers and investors who may have been taken in by APP’s misleading advertisements and glossy brochures,” said Teguh Surya Campaign Director of WALHI, the national environmental forum in Indonesia which has over 450 member NGOs. "Being associated with APP poses major reputational risks to companies that do business with it.”

Deforestation in Indonesia is a major contributor to climate change, as carbon stored in natural rainforests and peatlands is released after clearance and drainage. Roughly eighty percent of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation and degradation, which has pushed Indonesia into third place (behind the China and the U.S.) on the list of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters. APP/SMG and their affiliates are considered to be one of the largest contributors to these emissions.

Eyes on the Forest today published recent pictures of large amount of natural forest wood waiting to be unloaded at harbor of the APP’s pulp mill in Riau and also pictures showing large area of good natural forest in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape being cleared in a concession of PT. Artelindo Wiratama, an APP associated company.

Arcadia Publishing First on 100% FSC Paper

The nation’s largest local history publisher has expanded its focus on preservation efforts and is now the country’s first major book publisher to achieve the use of 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper across its entire book publishing program.

Arcadia Publishing, creators of the iconic pictorial history books with widely recognized sepia covers, has more than 6,000 titles in print and will publish 700 new titles this year. New releases and reprints now carry the accredited FSC label. Products using the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers the paper comes from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.

Arcadia Publishing CEO, Richard Joseph, views the initiative as a natural next step for the company. “Consistent with our commitment to help communities preserve history through local and regional history books, we have extended our efforts to improve the impact we have on our environment,” Joseph said.

With the implementation of 100 percent FSC certified paper; Arcadia Publishing has surpassed the goals set for industry standards as identified in The Book Industry Treatise on Responsible Paper Use by 500 percent, and almost two years ahead of schedule. The treaty, developed in 2006 by a wide range of industry stakeholders and coordinated by the Green Press Initiative (GPI), calls for the publishing FSC-US-0146 industry to aim to raise its use of FSC certified paper to a level of 20 percent by 2012.

GPI Director Tyson Miller commends the company for its early success. “Arcadia Publishing’s FSC achievement is quite an accomplishment and is a model for other publishers to consider and follow when it comes to supporting best practices in forest management,” Miller said.

Eagle Ridge Paper: US and Canadian Conservationists Send a Message to the Marketplace

A group of some of the largest and most respected environmental groups in North America will distribute a letter to the printing industry and other paper buyers today, in a united effort to bring greater environmental scrutiny to the climate and deforestation crisis in Indonesia's carbon-rich peatlands and rainforests. The letter draws attention to the fact that a new paper merchant, craftily named Eagle Ridge Paper, that has recently appeared in North America drumming up business for its discount paper rolls, is actually a thinly disguised division of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), an ambitious multinational forest and paper company with a long track record to date of environmental devastation.

The letter begins,

"We are writing to you today to provide important information about environmentally responsible paper. A new paper distribution company, named Eagle Ridge Paper, is obtaining pulp and paper products from operations having adverse climate, human rights and biodiversity impacts in Indonesia. Indonesia's rainforests are scientifically documented to have outstanding and rare ecological value. We believe that this paper's true costs are more than our planet can afford."

The letter is signed by NRDC, the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Green America, Green Press Initiative, Canopy, Environmental Investigation Agency, Dogwood Alliance and ForestEthics. It goes on to say,

"In October 2009, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) set up a new marketing & distribution arm - named Eagle Ridge Paper - in North America. This move came after APP lost hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with large customers such as Unisource, Office Depot, Staples, Corporate Express and others because of its poor environmental and social record and its reported links to illegally obtained wood.

Indonesia's rainforests comprise some of the most biologically diverse forests on the planet and provide habitat for endangered orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants, and many other endangered species. Indonesia's rainforests are also home to millions of Indigenous people whose cultures and livelihoods are directly dependent on natural forests. They also store and capture billions of tons of CO2, and in so doing help maintain our atmosphere's biochemical equilibrium."

Recently, a string of companies in the fashion industry including, Tiffany's, Gucci, and H&M, have chosen to take their business elsewhere as well in an effort to align their paper purchasing supply chain with their stated corporate responsibility values. The letter goes on to say,

"Unfortunately, Indonesia suffers from among the fastest rates of deforestation in the tropics. According to reports from the Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association, World Wide Fund for Nature and others, APP and its fiber suppliers are the leaders in clearing and converting vast areas of rainforests in Sumatra and Borneo for pulp and paper."

Scientists say the extinction bomb is ticking for some iconic species, including one of our closest relatives. Orangutans, whose name means "man of the forest" - share about 97 per cent of our DNA. Researchers predict that if current conditions continue, they will be extinct in the wild in ten to twenty years.

The Sumatran tiger faces its own race against time, as its habitat shrinks to make way for paper and palm oil production. There are as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia and they are under relentless pressure from poaching and clearing of their habitat. After five years of studying tigers using wildlife-activated still camera traps, these are the first images of a tiger with offspring and were recorded after WWF-Indonesia’s Sumatran tiger research team set up new video camera traps along a wildlife “corridor” known to be used by tigers.

“We are very concerned because the territory of this tiger and its cubs is being rapidly cleared by two global paper companies, palm oil plantations, encroachers and illegal loggers. Will the cubs survive to adulthood in this environment?” said Karmila Parakkasi, the leader of WWF-Indonesia’s tiger team.

For its part, APP has been out there painting itself green, with commercials on CNN International, claiming, "APP Cares." And doing interviews for the North American market in trade publications, skillfully talking in circles, and playing the victim but rarely talking about the direct issues at hand.

The Paper Planet encourages you to look into these issues yourself, to make your own conclusions. When using paper, please reduce unnecessary paper use, and consider your paper purchases carefully. We all use paper. But low carbon, environmentally responsible options are now available, so there's no excuses. The letter sent today suggests to printers that they learn more and find recommendations of responsible paper choices to meet their business needs and offer their customers at http://www.whatsinyourpaper.com.

Under Pressure USDA Forced to Re-examine GE Eucalyptus Permitting in the Southern US

Groups Force USDA to Re-release Draft Environmental Assessment on Genetically Engineered Eucalyptus Trees for Southern U.S. Forests: Original Assessment Lacked Key U.S. Forest Service Hydrological Studies

The U.S. Department of Agriculture re-released their draft environmental assessment [1] regarding a request by ArborGen, a subsidiary of timber giants International Paper and MeadWestvaco, to plant over a quarter of a million genetically engineered eucalyptus trees in so-called "test plots" across seven southern U.S. states. [2]

"If these invasive GE eucalyptus are planted across the South on this large of a scale, it is highly likely that fertile seeds will escape into surrounding forests," said Dr. Neil Carman, a plant scientist with the Sierra Club. "This is a major problem since eucalyptus is already known for its invasiveness. Once they escape into the forests, there is no way to call them back. It would be an ecological nightmare for southern forests."

The environmental assessment was re-released by the USDA after groups concerned about the environmental impacts of transgenic eucalyptus trees pointed out that the assessment was missing key hydrological studies conducted by the U.S. Forest Service that directly refute the conclusions of the USDA's draft environmental assessment which recommend approving ArborGen's request. The USFS studies point out that eucalyptus trees have heavy water requirements and can seriously impact ground and surface water reserves. [3]

The USDA is seeking public comments on their draft environmental assessment through February 18th, 2010. [4]

"In countries that are already suffering the impacts of large-scale eucalyptus plantations--like Brazil, Chile and South Africa--people have organized massive campaigns against them," stated Anne Petermann, Executive Director of Global Justice Ecology Project and North American representative of the Global Forest Coalition. "This is because eucalyptus plantations have devastated forests and communities. In Brazil, the Mata Atlantica forest has been all but wiped out by eucalyptus plantations. In Chile, communities living near eucalyptus plantations have lost their access to fresh water."

Other new information in the assessment reveals that some of the supposedly infertile engineered eucalyptus trees in existing field trials produced fertile seeds. Eucalyptus is a non-native tree and numerous species of eucalyptus are already considered invasive. This new transgenic (or GMO) eucalyptus has been engineered to tolerate colder temperatures giving it the potential for invading forest ecosystems throughout the South.

"I had hoped that the disaster of kudzu would have taught us the consequences of releasing invasive species into the environment," agreed Scot Quaranda, Campaign Director for the Dogwood Alliance. "Instead, ArborGen wants to release invasive GE eucalyptus trees. Unlike kudzu, however, these trees are not only invasive, they are also highly flammable and use huge quantities of fresh water. California is already spending millions to eradicate invasive and flammable eucalyptus trees. We do not want these invasive trees to be mass-planted in the South."

The STOP GE Trees Campaign [5] is working with the Center for Food Safety on plans to stop ArborGen's proposal to release hundreds of thousands of genetically engineered eucalyptus trees across the U.S. South. "This is a very slippery slope," warns George Kimbrell, an attorney for the Center for Food Safety. "Allowing the release of these GE eucalyptus trees will set a legal precedent that could allow the release of genetically engineered poplars or pines--which have wild relatives across the continent. The commercial release of engineered versions of native trees would lead to the contamination of forests with engineered pollen. Once this occurs there is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop the further contamination of more forests. We have to stop the release of GE trees before this contamination occurs."

The public is encouraged to submit comments to the USDA regarding the ArborGen proposal to release 260,000 genetically engineered cold tolerant eucalyptus trees across seven southern states. For details on this, please visit: http://www.globaljusticeecology.org/stopgetrees.php?tabs=0

[1] To download the USDA's December 17, 2009 revised draft environmental assessment, go to: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/08_014101rm_ea2.pdf

[2] The seven states targeted for ArborGen's GE eucalyptus deployment are South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

[3] The summary findings of the USFS with regard to the impacts of eucalyptus plantations on water resources can be found on page 57 of the new USDA draft environmental assessment. These findings include the fact that the water usage by eucalyptus plantations is at least double the water usage by other forest types, and that afforestation to eucalyptus plantations will reduce stream flow, lower the water table and affect groundwater recharge.

[4] Comments to the USDA can be submitted at: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=09000064809c344a

[5] Global Justice Ecology Project coordinates the STOP Genetically Engineered Trees Campaign. The Sierra Club and Dogwood Alliance are part of the Steering Committee for the Campaign. For more information on the campaign, go to: http://www.nogetrees.org.

Huge New Protected Areas in Canada's Carbon Rich Boreal Forest

The Paper Planet would like to join the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) and other organizations in congratulating the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador on their intent to establish two new protected areas in Canada’s Boreal Forest.

On February 5th the Government of Canada announced it would move ahead with the establishment of the Mealy Mountains National Park, encompassing 10,700 km2 (2.65 million acres), and by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to designate 3,000 km2 (700,000 acres) of the adjacent lower Eagle River watershed for inclusion in a new provincial water park, will create a total protected area of nearly 14,000 km2 (3.3 million acres) in central Labrador.

“This is an outstanding boreal landscape with a rich and diverse ecological and cultural history. These parks represent an exceptional legacy for present and future generations,” said Larry Innes, executive director of Canadian Boreal Initiative. “We are very pleased to recognize the achievement of the governments, the Aboriginal peoples and local organizations who came together to advance a common vision for the protection of this important region.”

Together, the federal Mealy Mountains National Park and the provincial Eagle River waterway park will be one of the largest protected areas in Eastern North America, about equal in size to the protected lands in New York’s Adirondack State Park. It is an area bigger than Yellowstone NP and Yosemite NP in the United States, combined!

For a slideshow of the incredible beauty of this area, CLICK HERE.

Moscow Illegally Raids Enviro Group Opposing Reopening of Lake Baikal Pulp Mill

Suspiciously coinciding with their criticism of the reopening of the pulp mill on Siberia's Lake Baikal, police raided the office of Russian environmental watchdog group Baikal Environmental Wave without a warrant authorizing a search, and detained staff who were in the office on claims they were using pirated software and violating fire safety regulations. (Note: The website link to Baikal Wave may not work, because the Russian government has shut their website down.)

The raid came just as Baikalsk mayor Valery Pintaev and several workers from the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill spoke at a press conference in Moscow thanking Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for granting permission to reopen the polluting plant. The Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill discharged toxic waste water directly into the decades, but of widespread public outcry finally resulted in the October 2008 decision forcing the plant to shut its doors – until this month.

The organization is well-known for efforts to protect Lake Baikal – the deepest lake in the world and home to 20% of the world’s fresh water. Lake Baikal contains more fresh water than all of America's Great Lakes combined and provides habitat to more than 1,500 species of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, including Lake Baikal's freshwater seal known locally as the nerpa.

In addition to negotiations with local officials and public outreach campaigns, Baikal Environmental Wave organizes large public rallies to protest threats to the lake.

“It is clear that the stated reason for investigating Baikal Environmental Wave was just an excuse,” Marina Rikhvanova, a 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, said by phone. “The real reason for taking our computers is to paralyze our organization and keep us from protesting the January 18 decision to reopen the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill.”

Employees of the Baikalsk Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant discovered two weeks ago that effluent from the Baikalsk mill, which has been testing its equipment since last month, is contaminating the town’s aquifers.

The organization is planning a February 13th demonstration to highlight community health concerns about pollution from the mill. Unfortunately for the Russian authorities, thanks to their illegal raid, there will be international attention on the pulp mill, the protest and the safety of the community and Baikal Environmental Wave. Heckuva job, Moscow!

And you can bet The Paper Planet will certainly be covering it.

Read more on the raid in the Moscow Times and from Pacific Environment.

Growth in Eco-papers Offers a Lifeline for the Industry

The number of leading environmental printing and writing grade papers produced in North America has more than doubled from 97 to 228 in the past 18 months according to information released today by Canopy, a Vancouver based non-profit organization that works to improve the environmental performance of paper and wood companies, and a Steering Committee member of Environmental Paper Network. The sharp increase in eco-paper options is the result of large paper buyers demanding more papers with ecological attributes, a growing trend despite recent troubles in the North American paper industry and global economy.

“We’re witnessing a phenomenal shift in the paper industry where sustained and growing green demand is steering paper production towards ecofriendly options, giving a life line to mills and a future for our endangered forests and species ” said Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Canopy.

Growth of demand for eco-papers benefits both the economy and the environment, something Canopy had been advocating for the past ten years. By using less virgin tree fiber for paper production, producers are reducing the carbon footprint of their papers and alleviating some of the pressure on carbon rich forests such as North America’s Boreal Forest and the endangered species that call it home such as the woodland caribou.

Visit the database at: http://canopyplanet.org/EPD/index.php

Papers in the database have been designated if they qualify as Ancient Forest Friendly, developed by Canopy. They are also designated according to the criteria of the Paper Steps, a comprehensible, yet multidimensional and rigorous standard for environmental leadership in printing and writing paper product development. The Paper Steps were developed through the collaboration of the diverse expertise on the Environmental Paper Network Steering Committee, and inspired by the innovative work of its member organization Canopy.

What's in your paper?

Biomass Energy Boom: What Price Habitat and Heritage?

Will your forests end up as pellets?

With catastrophic biomass energy carbon accounting errors integrated into the policies of corporations and governments, especially in European countries, there is strong demand and plenty of free money flowing to drive a rapidly growing industry in biomass-to-energy. Concern among conservationists and communities in the target forest conversion and extraction regions and around the world is also growing, because science is increasingly revealing that large scale biomass burning have major impacts on air quality, endangered species habitat, and our climate.

Recently, there seems to be an especially strong buzz and flurry of announcements. investor confidence is bolstered by the current subsidies from the US federal government to biomass burning facilities. See a list of these facilities.

Last week, the company RWE announced a massive wood pellet making facility for export to the European market. The company press release states, “Through this investment, RWE has taken a strategically important step towards safeguarding the supply basis for the constantly growing biomass market in Europe. This is because we will be unable to achieve the targets for reducing CO₂ emissions in Germany and Europe without biomass. But the European wood market will not be able to satisfy the demand in this fast growing sector on its own." There is also word that the company NexGen Biofuels will convert a former Georgia Pacific sawmill in Arkansas to manufacture wood pellets for European export. And the announcements keep coming, and coming and coming....but who is looking at the collective impact? Well, you could buy a full list of projects here if you have the money. In the meantime the communities in Massachusetts threatened by biomass energy development are doing a pretty good job raising key issues in their neck of the woods.

Paper companies are aggressively pursuing conversion of some of their assets and expertise to invest in the market. Mitsubishi Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company announced that the two companies signed a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the possibilities of collaborating in the biomass-to-energy business.

International Paper and MeadWestVaco are jointly investing in Arborgen, a Genetically Engineered trees project, seeking fast growing species for pulp and biomass-to-energy. They are currently applying to the USDA to be able to plant 260,000 frankentrees in the US South, and there's a public comment period reopened right now until the 18th of February to look at critical science that was not considered yet.

There are so many questions and red flags and issues of moral responsibility pending and that must be addressed. For example, have we really analyzed all the impacts of this massive growth in the demand for our forests. What are the full costs?

The Paper Planet will be following the science, policy, and environmental leadership on biomass-to-energy issues over the course of the year and looks forward to your comments.

Nearly one million hectares of Great Bear Rainforest now FSC certified

On December 10th, forest companies operating in the world's largest intact tract of coastal temperate rainforest took the next step in gaining marketplace recognition for their products. Western Forest Products, Interfor and BC Timber Sales, supported by pulp and paper producers Catalyst Paper and Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (partly owned by Canfor) have gained Forest Stewardship Council Certification (FSC). They are already signatories to the internationally renowned Great Bear Rainforest Agreement in British Columbia, Canada.

Building on the legal protection of a third of the region and critical first steps towards implementing Ecosystem-based Management across the land-base, a portion of operations for these companies now have the stamp of approval from FSC. FSC is the only forest certification system currently endorsed by environmental and indigenous organizations.

Full implementation of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements is expected by 2014.