![“KILLING” AND “SAVING” TREES](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/LGL-Blog-July-2024.png?resize=1080%2C628&ssl=1)
“KILLING” AND “SAVING” TREES
What exactly does this mean? To be human, it seems, is to be a hypocrite. We kill trees all the time, and have done so for thousands of years. Same with fish, chickens, goats, sheep, cows - you name it. Sure, we may call it harvesting or farming or some less emotional...
![How much primary forest does Canada have?](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CanadianForest.jpeg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
How much primary forest does Canada have?
The environmental media is full of grim warnings about how much primary forest the world is losing and the impact this is having on biodiversity and our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But what exactly is “primary” forest, and how much does Canada have?...
![The latest dope on hemp’s claims to be “better” than wood pulp for packaging grades](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/treefree.png?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
The latest dope on hemp’s claims to be “better” than wood pulp for packaging grades
Hemp promoters aren’t the first, and won’t be the last, to try and knock off wood pulp as the dominant fibre source for paper packaging. And while alternative fibres like hemp, wheat straw, bamboo, and kenaf all have possibilities as blends in a wood-fibre base, it is...
![The hypocrisy (and sneaky deception) of Nature Canada](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Boreal-Forest-Red.png?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
The hypocrisy (and sneaky deception) of Nature Canada
Nature Canada, an Ottawa-based charity that’s been around since 1939, recently added its name to an alliance of environmental groups lambasting the federal and provincial governments on forestry issues, claiming they were complicit with the forest industry in...
![There is no such thing as a pristine, undisturbed forest](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mountain-Pine-Beetle1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
There is no such thing as a pristine, undisturbed forest
As a long-time hiker who appreciates forests, I can understand why people would want to describe some of them as pristine and undisturbed, unspoiled and unsullied, unpolluted and untouched. It’s a no-brainer that we would want to protect them from too much (or, in...
![Deforestation in Canada and Other Fake News](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/TwoBookCovers.png?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
Deforestation in Canada and Other Fake News
As the author of a book on deforestation in Canada, I feel I have some qualification to comment on recent claims made by an alliance of environmental groups that the federal government is “spinning” the truth on this...
![Who’s “spinning” who? Some facts on Canada’s forests, logging, and the caribou.](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/JanuaryBlogFour.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
Who’s “spinning” who? Some facts on Canada’s forests, logging, and the caribou.
The Canadian public would be forgiven for being confused on these issues because there is a lot of false and misleading information swirling around. Here’s an attempt to clarify and explain. First, Canada’s forests. Scientists have divided the world’s forests into...
![Smearing paper packaging seems to be fashionable these days. What are the facts?](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/blogimage-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
Smearing paper packaging seems to be fashionable these days. What are the facts?
The paper packaging industry is coming under increasing scrutiny as paper alternatives begin to replace many plastic formats. Are paper products a better alternative? That usually depends on what you mean by “better.” Because there are literally hundreds of ways of...
![Journalists do not like to admit they are wrong, period.](https://i0.wp.com/johnmullinder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cHJpdmF0ZS9sci9pbWFnZXMvd2Vic2l0ZS8yMDIyLTExL2ZsNTA2MjIyMTgwODgtaW1hZ2UuanBn.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
Journalists do not like to admit they are wrong, period.
The goal of journalism is supposedly to search for the truth, and journalists are meant to both research and present as many sides of a story as possible. This sometimes does not happen. A case in point is the article I commented on back in March[i] When does...
How do I get my fresh fruit and vegetables home?
It seems like we will be debating the relative environmental impact of paper, plastic, and reusable shopping bags forever. But we still need something to transport those goods home somehow. I have been using reusable cloth bags to carry all my groceries for years now....