When people learn that I work for the paper industry it’s usually not too long before the conversation somehow drifts towards ‘killing’ or ‘saving’ trees and deforestation. These are issues that have bugged me for years. Not the issues themselves but the widespread misinformation about them in Canada. So, finally, I’ve done something about it.
Gathered the facts together and hopefully presented them in a coherent and easily digestible fashion. Canada is not running out of trees. Large-scale deforestation is not taking place in our own backyard. And no, every time the paper industry wants to make a new box or carton it doesn’t just grab a chainsaw and head for the forest.
I also examine some common green claims and greenwash (about ‘ancient’ forests; about e-books being ‘better’ than tree-books; about post-consumer paper being ‘environmentally friendlier’ than pre-consumer; about claims for recyclability; and about how going paperless ‘saves’ trees). And here’s a teaser for you: ‘cardboard’ doesn’t exist!
All my sources of information are laid out in detailed appendices and endnotes. If you want to know more, you can check out their credibility and the context. In these days of unfiltered social media, alternative facts, and ‘fake’ news, I think being able to do that is extremely important.
Deforestation in Canada and Other Fake News is available online through all major retail outlets. I look forward to hearing what you think of it!
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