Nicole Rycroft,
campaigns director
for Markets Initiative.
Is there a similar organization to Markets Initiative in the U.S.? -- Jerry Broadbent, Bucoda, Wash.
There are a number of organizations that work to safeguard endangered forests by shifting U.S. market demand to more sustainable wood and paper products. Green Press Initiative is working with the U.S. book sector and Co-op America with the U.S. magazine sector. ForestEthics works with a number of large companies and sectors including office-supply retailers (Staples) and catalog manufacturers (Victoria's Secret). Rainforest Action Network is also working to transform the U.S. marketplace, focusing on DIY chains (like Home Depot and Lowe's) and financial institutions (Citibank, Bank of America, etc.).
Do you have suggestions for what individuals can do to help the campaign against the mass slaughter of ancient endangered forests used to publish millions of magazines and catalogs? -- Gloria Nash, Carbondale, Ill.
There's a lot that you can do as an individual consumer. For years, logging companies have told environmental activists that they're just meeting the world's market demand. As the end consumer, you have incredible influence over large consumer companies like catalog manufacturers and magazine publishers. They, in turn, have incredible influence over logging and paper companies.
One of the easiest ways to weigh into the fray with catalog manufacturers is to participate in ForestEthics' campaign to shift Victoria's Secret to ancient-forest-friendly paper. You can also write to catalog manufacturers -- ask to be removed from their mailing list; ask about the paper they're using; tell them you are concerned that they are contributing to the destruction of endangered forests; ask them to develop a formal policy to help safeguard the world's endangered forests and shift their catalogs over to a paper that is free of fiber from ancient or endangered forests. Or pool a group of friends and do it together, making it part of a get-together or dinner.
With magazines, write to those that you buy. Ask them similar questions about the paper they use and their forest policies. Express your concern, as one of their readers, about the impact they could be having on forests around the world. If publishers are using a paper with some post-consumer recycled content, that's a positive step, but ask them what the rest of the paper fiber consists of -- virgin tree fiber, recycled fiber, agricultural residue (such as flax or wheat straw)? Beware of greenwashing words like "sustainable forestry" -- if it's not certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, then it's status-quo logging in endangered forest areas. Sending back magazine return cards with some message about saving ancient forests is another way to catch their attention.
Finally, support the organizations that do the work of pressuring companies, organizing public actions, and working to change the status quo on logging and consumption. They need you to keep going and to prove to decision makers that it is not just a minority of the people who care. Memberships are a way of demonstrating the breadth of public support for issues such as this.
Does it cost more to publish a book or magazine on ancient-forest-friendly paper? -- Name not provided
It varies, depending on the paper grade and the relationship publishers have with their suppliers. Some book and magazine publishers are printing on ancient-forest-friendly papers and not paying a premium. At this stage, there is often still a small premium of 1 to 5 percent for environmentally responsible papers. This is common with a new product that is being produced on a smaller scale. When we started working with book publishers five years ago, there were no ancient-forest-friendly book papers being commercially produced. So these products were originally produced in small batches as the market was tested. Prices for ancient-forest-friendly papers have dropped significantly in the last three years as they have been produced as more mainstream products. We anticipate that as the demand for ancient-forest-friendly papers continues to grow, the economy of scale of production will improve and the price will come down to be on par with virgin papers. Over time, cost will not be an issue.
What would be a publisher's main argument against using tree-friendly paper or methods that reduce overall paper consumption? -- Name not provided
Concerns about cost, quality, and availability are the primary concerns for publishers. During the past three to four years, all of these have improved significantly -- mainstream paper producers are now starting to produce eco-friendly publishing papers, and printers are stocking ancient-forest-friendly options. Cost and quality are comparable in most cases.
Consumption reduction indeed saves money in the long term. Most publishers have no objections to working to reduce their overall consumption. Of course, they also don't want to limit their ability to grow their business.
What are your thoughts on synthetic paper made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers? -- Melitta Carter, Bethesda, Md.
I've seen a number of plastic papers but as yet I haven't looked into the infrastructure changes and associated costs that would be required for such a switch, or the relative life-cycle analyses. I agree, though, that it's an interesting option to look into further.
How do you feel about books and magazines available in an online, electronic, or PDA-friendly format? Isn't this the best way to "publish" material as it saves trees entirely? -- Name not provided
Online or electronic books do indeed reduce the impacts on forests at the source of production. The challenge with online books is if/when the end consumer prints out the piece -- chances are they will not be using an ancient-forest-friendly paper or double-siding the print job. This ultimately has a heavy impact on forests also.
A number of mainstream business and educational publishers are increasingly using electronic media. For books with information that dates quickly, this is a good option financially and ecologically. I think a challenge for online books is that, for a lot of people, part of the joy or experience of reading a book (especially a novel or poetry) is the physical experience of reading it -- sitting in a favorite chair, the weight of it, the smell of opening it, physically turning the pages ...
What will be your next project once Harry Potter is printed? -- Name not provided
A big focus this fall will be working with colleagues, mills, and one of our magazine signatories to develop and produce a magazine on paper made with agricultural residue (such as flax and wheat straw) and recycled fiber. This will be a first and will open some exciting possibilities for magazine publishers and catalog manufacturers. Ultimately, the use of agricultural residues for mainstream paper production will help reduce the demands on forest ecosystems.
I've been informed of your favorite band, TV show, and movie, but considering your occupation, I think it's also important to know your favorite book! -- Name not provided
It's ironic that you know my favorite TV show, given that I don't really watch TV. There are many books that have influenced my life. Three that stand out at the moment are Nelson Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, Barbara Gowdy's The White Bone, and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things.
I'm having a book published next summer, Alaska's Predators. How should I approach the publisher to ensure it's published on the appropriate paper? -- Bruce Wright, Wasilla, Alaska
Just contact your publisher directly about this and express your concern about this issue. We've generally found publishers to be very responsive to authors' requests for ancient-forest-friendly papers. Given that you're publishing with a U.S. publisher, it'd also be good for you to contact folks at the Green Press Initiative about U.S. printers that already have ancient-forest-friendly papers available that your publisher could use.
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