Paper That Kills Tigers, Elephants and Orangutans

Paper cuts are no fun.

But here is paper more destructive and heinous for it kills endangered tigers, elephants and orangutans in one blow.

Here is photo featured in an eye-opening post by George Monbiot.

It shows the destruction of Sumatran rainforest in Sungai Sembilang National Park in Sumatra.

Sungai Sembilang National Park, Sumatra
Photograph: Romeo Gacad

According to the Rainforest Action Network (RAN):

"Sinar Mas Group’s Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Royal Golden Eagle Group’s Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL) are among Indonesia’s most destructive corporations. Between them, they produce 80 percent of Indonesia’s pulp and paper. This comes from clear cutting rainforests and replacing them with monoculture acacia pulp wood plantations grown on these cleared rainforests and peatlands. Many leading international companies and consumer brands are contributing to this tragic pattern of destruction by, often unknowingly, purchasing paper products from affiliates of APP and APRIL."

"Deforestation in Riau has been driving both Sumatran elephants and tigers to local extinction: as of 2007, Sumatran elephant and tiger populations in Riau had declined about 75 percent over the past 25 years to as few as 210 and 192 individuals, respectively. If forest clearing is not halted, both may become locally extinct in a few years’ time."

Please be informed of the many companies/minions of APP including:

• tissue/towel companies Solaris Paper
• and Mercury Paper (LIVI and Paseo brands plus private labels)
• and paper distributors Global Paper Solutions
• Eagle Ridge Paper (Ovation brand papers)
• Gold East Paper USA
• PaperMax
• The Blue Planet Group

APP has also reneged on millions of US taxpayer monies.

"In 2008, APP was ordered by a New York federal judge to pay back more than $100 million of that debt to the taxpayer-financed U.S. Export-Import Bank. The debt remains unpaid."

The Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance, and companies like Target, Walmart, Staples and Office Depot have severed ties with APP.

Sumatra is not the only APP stop.

According to this post, Cambodia is also suffering the same loss and destruction where APP has set up companies: Green Rich and Green Elite.

App has also been charged with illegal logging in China.

What can we do as humans and gnomes to help stop this deadly paper destroying our forests and killing our precious animals and resources?

Please educate yourself and read about APP here.

Boycott products from APP and its minions.

Please see the Natural Resources Defense Council's Consumer Guide for responsible paper products that help protect forests and not destroy them.

Shop for "paper products with paper products with recycled content -- especially post-consumer fibers."

Visit NRDC for more tips to help save our forests.

Please help by using your wallet responsibly and help send a clear message to paper companies.

Use super paper that helps save the world and go green!

(c) 2009-2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Lowly Toilet Paper Saves Majestic Trees...Saves the World

Mama gnome went to Gnomeco to buy ecofriendly toilet paper.

But when she rounded the corner, Mama gnome almost dropped her pointy hat.

She saw the usual pallet where they stored super green toilet paper was now stacked with firewood!

Was it not enough to take away the good toilet paper, but they had to replace it with more cut down trees for future burning and releasing of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

Did Gnomeco intend for Mama gnome to... as young gnomelet would put it... "freak out" in the middle of the household stuff aisle?

Mama gnome stood and stared at the pallet of firewood.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times but the firewood remained.

She trudged around the next few aisles as fast as her gnome legs could trudge...but saw no sign of the super ecofriendly toilet paper.

Mama gnome made a mental note to head to Trader Gnome's to buy green toilet paper since Gnomeco declared super green toilet paper... toilet paper ingrata.

If you wonder why Mama gnome was upset with Gnomeco it's because not all toilet paper are created equal.

The most bought toilet paper and readily available toilet paper are made from virgin fiber which means from chopped down trees.

The least bought toilet paper and hard to find toilet paper are made from recycled paper, and the best toilet paper would be made from recycled paper with high postconsumer paper waste content.

This quiet unassuming toilet paper saves trees because it's made from recycled paper instead of virgin tree fiber.

According to this post, American humans use "about 50 pounds of tissue products per person every year. This is 50% more than the consumption rate in Western Europe and Japan."

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states:

"The pulp and paper industry may contribute to more global and local environmental problems than any other industry in the world. Paper manufacturers reach deep into species-rich forests for virgin timber, razing trees, polluting waterways and destroying precious wildlife habitat. Pulp and paper mills that use virgin timber are major generators of hazardous air pollutants, including dioxins and other cancer-causing chemicals. And the industry is the third largest industrial emitter of global warming pollution."

"The virgin timber-based pulp and paper industry is the third greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution. Its carbon dioxide emissions are projected to double by 2020."


According to NRDC,
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.




video from: rainforestproject

Please visit NRDC's site to see the list of paper products.

Pick the quiet unassuming toilet paper that saves the world.

Pick Clark Kent and Superman in one fell swoop and go Green!

(c)2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog