November 26th, 2007
The pristine Boreal Forest is being logged because, well, it can be. It is inadequately protected by Canada’s logging laws (a story for another day). The details of Kimberly-Clark’s business in the area are in dispute. Greenpeace claims that if the multi -national pulled out of the area, the logging would be much reduced. But K-C contends that it is only buying wood chips from logging already underway for use as building materials, in effect buying excess product and not creating any new demand on the ancient forest.
Whatever the case, the destruction of this sensitive area affects literally everyone because the Boreal Forest is a carbon storehouse, one of the earth’s largest natural antidotes to global warming, as well as home to bears, bobcats and the endangered caribou, according to Richard Brooks, forest campaign coordinator for Greenpeace Canada.
“It holds 45 billion tons of carbon within its trees and soil, which is about equal to seven times world’s global greenhouse gas emissions (for one year),” Brooks says. “It’s very important for the future of the planet. Sure, we need to reduce greenhouse gas from cars, but we also need to be preserving these areas that hold massive amounts of carbon.”
Kimberly-Clark has girded itself against the protest in different ways. First, it dug in. It argued that it was difficult to find enough certifiably sustainable wood pulp to change its operations. It began talks with Greenpeace and the NRDC. But then talks broke down. Meanwhile, the company produced some sustainability initiatives in a variety of areas and was three times named the “personal products industry sustainability leader” by the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.
The Dallas-based global company is currently dipping its toes into the recycled products market with a brand being tested at Wal-Marts called Kleenex Naturals, which is made of 20 percent recycled fiber.
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