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Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace Agree Boreal Forests are Amazing

- Adam Clare

Kimberly-Clark (the makers of Kleenex) and Greenpeace have signed an historic agreement that pledges the protection of the Boreal forest. This is a huge victory for Greenpeace, but it’s even better for those that need the boreal forest to live – that’s you and me.

Implementing the Kimberly-Clark policy

Implementation of the policy will lead to protection of the world’s most endangered forests, increased support for sustainable forest management through Forest Stewardship Council certification and the increased use of recycled fiber in Kimberly-Clark products.

During the evolution of this policy, Kimberly-Clark stopped buying more than 325,000 tonnes of pulp a year from logging operations in the Kenogami and Ogoki Forests. The company managing these forests was unwilling to protect endangered forest areas in them and supply Kimberly-Clark with Forest Stewardship Council certified pulp.

The Boreal Forest and climate change

Protection of the Boreal Forest is crucial to world efforts to stop climate change. This forest is the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon on the planet, storing 27 years worth of greenhouse gas emissions or 186 billion tonnes. If this carbon is released into the atmosphere it will add to the threat of catastrophic climate change.

Under the policy Kimberly-Clark has set a goal of ensuring that 100 per cent of the fibre used in its products will be from environmentally responsible sources. It will greatly increase its use of recycled fibre and fibre from forest certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards. By 2011, it will also increase the use of recycled and FSC fibre [from North America sources] to 40 per cent from 29.7 per cent in 2007. By 2012, the company will no longer use pulp from the Boreal Forest unless is it certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.

The Walking Tree Man

- Adam Clare

I’m having trouble thinking of a way to describe this, so I won’t. I present to you the Walking Tree Man.

walking tree man
walking tree man

What is it that can capture a heart and take it to a peaceful awareness instantly?

Many say, “A WALKING TREE MAN”.

The crowd is stunned. People, begin moving more slowly, breathing deeply. They seem to drop into that meditative state where we’re connected with the true reality of life.

The walking body of a tree with the mask of a man is an image that can only inspire awe in the hearts and minds of those who see view it.

This archetype, of ancient origins signifies rebirth, renewal, and life, is the image of the GREEN MAN

He symbolizes our ineffable connection with Mother Nature.

Sometimes it’s the kids who see what’s going on first. Then that brings on a frenzy of photo snapping and comments like, “That’s the best costume I’ve seen in my life!” “Absolutely incredible!” “Wow!” “Amazing!”

One Day, One Country, Six Million Trees

- Adam Clare

Macedonia is a country of only two million and they managed to plant six million trees in just one day!

Thousands of Macedonians took to the hills and forests on Wednesday to plant six million trees in a single day as part of a mass reforestation drive in the Balkan country.
The main aim of the campaign was to replant Macedonia’s forests after extensive wild fires over the past two summers, and organisers trumpeted the scheme’s environmental benefits at a time of global warming.
“Our goal is to make Macedonia “greener” and make people more aware of the needs of this planet”, said Macedonian opera singer Boris Trajanov, who initiated the project.

Proof That Rain Forests can be Saved

- Adam Clare

Costa Rica is establishing itself as a fantastic spot for eco-tourism and to ensure that they continue to be so awesome they need to protect their natural environment. Costa Rica is trying to reclaim land that was taken away from their tropical forests and replant the natural species in hopes of revival – and it’s working.

When the researchers planted worn-out cattle pastures in Costa Rica with a sampling of local trees in the early 1990s, native species of plants began to move in and flourish, raising the hope that destroyed rain forests could one day be replaced.
Ten years after the tree plantings, Cornell graduate student Jackeline Salazar counted the species of plants that took up residence in the shade of the new planted areas. She found remarkably high numbers of species — more than 100 in each plot. And many of the new arrivals were also to be found in nearby remnants of the original forests.
“By restoring forests we hope not only to be improving the native forests, but we are helping to control erosion and helping the quality of life of the local people,” said Carl Leopold, the William H. Crocker Scientist Emeritus at BTI. He pointed out that drinking water becomes more readily available when forests thrive because tree roots act as a sort of sponge, favoring rainwater seepage and preventing water running off hills and draining away.

Solar Leafs for Homes

- Adam Clare

Solar leafsThis is a neat idea that may or may not go with your aesthetic tastes, but should go with your green tastes. Inhabitat says that solar leafs can hang off your house while providing you power. Like leaves on trees, these leafs use the sun to make energy, and unlike trees, these solar shingles also get power from the wind.

Using a series of flexible solar cells as leaves, GROW takes the shape of ivy growing on a building- the leaves are solar cells while the wind that causes them to flutter is harvested as viable energy. Teresita hopes that the modular system would be readily available via the Moma store or Design Within Reach, rather than a commercially out-of-reach system like many traditional solar components. GROW also integrates an energy monitoring system for users to visualize their consumption. The leaves are made of 100% recyclable polyethylene, and are available in a variety of colors and opacities.

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