Support Grist
Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.
Donate to Grist.
Daily Grist

Tools: print | email | discuss | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS
Daily Grist

Hogwarts and All

The seventh -- and, alas, final -- Harry Potter book goes green

Is Draco Malfoy green with envy, or is it just the paper he's printed on? With only 121 days until the last Harry Potter book hits the shelves (not that we're counting), U.S. publisher Scholastic has partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to green up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The 784-page book will have a first printing of 12 million copies in the U.S., and nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper used will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from sustainable timber. It's the largest-ever purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing, and the whomping willows are certainly thankful. In addition, the books will contain at least 30 percent recycled fiber, while the deluxe edition -- with a first printing of a mere 100,000 copies -- will be printed on 100 percent recycled paper in a renewable-energy-powered factory. Muggle-rific! So OK, fewer trees will die ... but will Harry? It's really all we can think about these days.

straight to the source: The Guardian, Oliver Bullough, 21 Mar 2007
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 20 Mar 2007
straight to the source: Reuters, 20 Mar 2007


Comments: (1 comment)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Username: Password:

Forgot your password? Enter your username and click:

consumer power

I'm sure Harry Potter fans and lovers of the Earth across the globe were thrilled to hear the good news. But alas, my feelings of joy were followed by a familiar thought: "great, but that's NOT ENOUGH!"

So I emailed Scholastic about two hours ago and challenged them to repeat this idea across all their production practices. I was happy to recieve a prompt response detailing their plans for future partnership with the Rainforest Alliance and efforts to green up the company.

While it is not happening at the pace we'd all like (does it ever?) its reassuring to see these changes in global producer and consumer culture. Kudos.

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?


ADVERTISING POLICY


About Grist | Support Grist | Jobs Board | Archives | Grist by Email | RSS | Podcasts
Gristmill Blog | In the News | Ask Umbra® | Muckraker | Victual Reality | 'Tis the Season | The Grist List | The Bottom Line



Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
a beacon in the smog (tm) ©2007. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
Webmaster | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Trademarks