Creation Care Corner
CHURCH IN SOCIETY | CREATION CARE TEAM
CREATION CARE FAMILY TIME
“The Issue with Tissue”
Just below the Arctic Circle, the largest old-growth forest on the planet rings the globe. Known as the great boreal forest, Canada’s share of this dense mix of towering fir trees is a vast one billion acres! It is being leveled at an alarming rate of a million acres a year, much of which ends up in US supermarkets as throwaway paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper.
Activity
Have each person in the family think of one or more TV commercials or store displays advertising paper towels, tissues or toilet paper (such as the soft cuddly bears or angels on a cloud promoting toilet paper.) Then have a family member find a roll of paper towels, a box of tissues, and a roll of toilet paper from their own home. Notice whether or not these items are the same as the ones suggested in the commercials. Do they seem to be softer or harder than the advertised ones? Which do the family members think are better for the environment, the softer or harder versions of these items? Read on to find the answer.
Actually, the softer the paper towels or toilet paper, the more “virgin” timber from the boreal forest is used in its manufacture. This requires the cutting of original boreal forest trees that store huge amounts of carbon in their structures. Old growth boreal trees play a key role in limiting carbon dioxide. Some stiffer paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper now contain higher amounts of recycled paper, require less virgin timber, and therefore help save the boreal!
One earth-friendly option for congregations and families is to consult the National Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) report, “The Issue With Tissue.” This includes a report card ranking major brands of paper towels, facial tissue, and toilet paper according to their impact on the Canadian Boreal Forest. Then stock your home and your church accordingly, purchasing only Grade A and B paper products if possible and avoiding grade F companies. When in doubt, choose paper products labeled “earth friendly” (FSC, Forest Stewardship Council) rather than those “heavenly soft” ones!
For more information, check out this article >>