LEAD STORY: Cosmo's Impact on Forests

FEATURE STORY: Move Over Wood: Biobased Gets a Boost

NEWS BRIEFS
a) Buying Recycled at the Office
b) Earth Summit Avoids Mountain of Trash
c) Taking Out the Trash at American Corporations
d) National Parks: Greening on the Inside
e) Agencies That "Green" Together, Stay Together
f) What Were You Doing in Middle School?
g) Meeting Our Needs
h) Forest Heroes Recognized
i) Mud Home

CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
deconstruction event

RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
EPA product database
green purchasing course
new green building website

LEAD STORY
Cosmo's Impact on Forests

Magazine publishers and subscribers alike have a new tool in assessing a magazine's impact on forests. In an attempt to educate magazine publishers about their impact on the world's forests, the Magazine PAPER Project has released a web site that calculates the number of trees logged to print a particular magazine on non-recycled paper. The calculator, located at www.EcoPaperAction.org/wizard, found that Cosmopolitan uses 328,577 trees per year to produce its magazine from virgin paper. Sample calculations also showed that National Geographic which uses 10 percent post consumer content for its cover, saves 2,255 trees, but still consumes 505,819 trees per year. According to the Magazine PAPER Project, a coalition including Co-op America, Conservatree and the Independent Press Association, coated and uncoated paper containing 10-30 percent post-consumer recycled content offers the same performance at competitive prices as virgin paper.

FEATURE STORY
Move Over Wood: Biobased Gets a Boost

A number of recent initiatives indicate a continued interest in the "biobased" movement. Biobased materials are receiving increased attention due to their environmentally preferable characteristics. They are typically less toxic and have the ability to biodegrade quickly in a compost. Although wood is sometimes included in the definition of "biobased," many efforts are focused on building markets for agriculture-based products. These products have the potential to be blended with recycled fibers to greatly substitute virgin wood in most applications (and wood is used in a dazzling array of products from foods to packaging to cars).

The Biobased Manufacturers Association (BMA) was recently launched which may aid purchasers in tracking down biobased products. The association's new website at www.biobased.org/association will disseminate the BMA newsletter and will host "live auctions" on selected product groups such as building panels.

Another boost came from the federal government. The new Federal Environmental Executive, John Howard has announced the priorities for the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE). Recycling, green procurement and green buildings were among the six priorities mentioned. According to the OFEE, new initiatives on buying biobased products will be offered. For more information see the "What's New" section of OFEE's website.

The inclusion of federal purchasing of biobased materials in the six priorities reflects the Farm Bill's mandate for the "Federal Procurement of Biobased Products," Sec. 9002, Title IX which passed this year. The legislation calls for federal agencies to give preference to products "composed of the highest percentage of biobased products practicable" which are available in a reasonable period of time, at a reasonable price and meet performance standards. For more information on the Farm Bill (particularly the downsides), see RCA-News' February 2002 feature article, "The Farm Bill--Its Not Just About Soybeans"

Meanwhile, on the state level, the California legislature recently passed a bill to conduct an economic feasibility study of alternative fibrous crops, such as industrial hemp, kenaf and flax -- all good wood replacements, according to an August 15, 2002 press release from California Assemblymember Strom-Martin's office. Plants such as industrial hemp have been advocated in numerous states where farmers are looking for alternatives to crops such as tobacco and sugar cane.

Corporations are getting in on the biobased act, particularly pursuing bioplastics. The August 2002 issue of the Green Business Letter feature article on bioplastics, "Easy Come, Easy Go?" reported that Mitsubishi Plastics introduced a vegetable starch packaging to be used in a Sony Walkman, while Toyota unveiled a concept car made of sweet potatoes, bamboo and flax. While these products decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and wood, much still needs to be worked out to ensure they can biodegrade quickly and safely in composts and that their manufacturing processes are clean and efficient. Another step forward in the corporate arena toward biobased is the re-opening of Agriboard Industries, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, according to "Agriboard is Back," Environmental Building News, Volume 11, Number 7/8, July/August, 2002 by Alex Wilson. The company is now a subsidiary of the Ryan Development Company and is in limited production of straw-based structural insulated panels (SIPs).

With all of this increased attention on the issue, the Journal of Industrial Ecology has issued a call for papers for a special edition on the environmental impact of biobased materials, including agricultural residues (the stalks that are left over once a crop is harvested) and crops grown intentionally for biobased products. The deadline for the papers which will all be peer reviewed is December 2, 2002. More information can be obtained at www.yale.edu/jie/cfpbiobased.htm.

a) Buying Recycled at the Office
Green Seal's recent Choose Green Report, covers "green" office supplies. According to the report, only 40 percent of U.S. businesses have policies regarding the purchase of recycled products. Recycled office products can greatly ease pressure on the world's forests. For instance, a ton of 100 percent post-consumer recycled office paper saves 24 trees. The guide recommends purchasing recycled binders, clipboards, envelopes, file folders, labels and self-stick notes -- all of which can contain virgin wood fiber.

b) Earth Summit Avoids Mountain of Trash
Despite the spate of recent articles describing the many disappointments of the Earth Summit, it appears that at least one environmental policy is on track. Zero Waste efforts are being implemented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, also called the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to August 23 and August 27, 2002 press releases from Earthlife Africa and Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a team of Zero Waste experts trained 700 volunteers, cleaning staff, caterers and others to prevent and reduce waste at the Civil Society Global Forum, the largest component of the Earth Summit hosting 30,000 delegates. Waste targets for the Global Forum include reducing the total potential waste by 80 to 90 percent. Zero Waste is a term used to describe a range of practices such as reducing consumption and increasing recycling in order to have a minimum or no waste discarded. For more information, see www.earthlife.org.za and www.no-burn.org.

c) Taking Out the Trash at American Corporations
Back in the United States, the Grassroots Recycling Network has released draft Zero Waste principles for corporations, reported the Green Business Letter August 2002 article, "New Proposed Standards Define 'Zero Waste' Companies." According to the draft standards, a zero waste company would take back products and packaging; buy reused, buy recycled and compost; prevent waste, reuse and repair; design for durability and disassembly and offer services, not products, among other criteria.

d) National Parks: Greening on the Inside
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program is teaming up with the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Recreation and Park Association to improve the sustainability of the internal workings of the parks, including a focus on "green" purchasing, reported EPP Update, Issue 11, August 2002 in "The Greening of Our National Parks." In addition to greening their own functions, as a federal agency that deals so heavily with the public, the parks can also educate individuals about "green" products.

e) Agencies That "Green" Together, Stay Together
Another federal green purchasing initiative, the Federal Network for Sustainability (FNS) is occurring mainly in the western United States, according to the EPP Update, Issue 11, August 2002 article, "More and More Agencies Seek Information on Sustainability." The FNS is a voluntary network of federal agencies that collaborate on issues such as purchasing. "Greening federal copier paper" is one of their four initiatives for the year. FNS is beginning to work with state and local agencies in these initiatives as well.

f) What Were You Doing in Middle School?
Two Montana Indian reservations -- the Crow and the Northern Cheyenne -- are planning a two-week straw-bale "blitz build," including a study hall building designed by four Crow middle school students, according to "What's Happening," Environmental Building News, Volume 11, Number 7/8, July/August, 2002. The project aims to construct two public buildings that demonstrate straw-bale's potential as affordable, durable and energy-efficient housing. The project is in response to a severe housing shortage on Native American reservations.

g) Meeting Our Needs
Driven by the consumption of wood products, the United States imports lumber from countries such as Canada. Half of the softwood lumber logged in Canada is destined for the United States, according to "Trees Fall in Canada's Forests, but U.S. Isn't Buying," New York Times, August 31, 2002 by Clifford Kraus. This export, however, fills only approximately one third of America's consumption "needs," amounting to between $6 billion and $12 billion in sales, depending on the volatile prices. In recent months, however, imports from Canada have declined greatly due to a 27 percent American tariff levied in May on Canadian softwood lumber. The United States now relies more heavily on Russian, Scandinavian and Eastern European suppliers, revealing yet again that reducing consumption in the United States is crucial in protecting forests globally.

h) Forest Heroes Recognized
Every year, environmental heroes are recognized by the Goldman Environmental Prize -- the largest award for grassroots environmental activists in the world. A program of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, the prize is often given to those working to protect forests and sometimes to those dealing with wood consumption, specifically. For instance in 1994, Heffa Schucking from Germany received the award for her landmark report, "Rain Forest Memorandum," which traced Germany's role in destroying tropical forests and led to a significant reduction in Germany's consumption of tropical timber. This year, Fatima Jibrell from Somalia was an award recipient for her work to obtain a regional ban on charcoal exports which were made from acacia trees as old as 500 years, among her other efforts.

i) Mud Home
Children making mud pies today could be preparing for a future career in natural building tomorrow. Cob construction, consists of molding a house or other structure out of a mixture of sand, gravel, clay and a fiber such as straw. Proportions differ depending on the part of the structure (i.e., interior walls have more mass so that they can store heat, while exterior walls have more straw for insulation). The authors of a new book, "The Hand Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage" (Chelsea Green, 2002), Ianto Evans and Linda Smiley are providing a hands on education for students interested in cob construction through their newly opened school, The North American School for Natural Building in Coquille, Oregon, according to "Sculpting a Life," Natural Home Magazine, September/October 2002 by Lori Tobias. Evans is calling for a revolution in the United States -- shifting to natural building.

CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS

The University of Florida's Center for Construction and Environment is organizing the 11th Rinker International Conference on Deconstruction and Materials Reuse May 7-10, 2003 in Gainesville Florida. For more information, see www.cce.ufl.edu/rinker11.

RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

EPA is unveiling a new database of vendors who comply with federal procurement requirements for recycled products. The database will make it easier for purchasers to find environmentally preferable products. The database includes suppliers for a wide range of recycled products, including paperboard, newsprint, pallets, tissue products, etc. Purchasers can search by category, product, material (including agricultural fiber) and/or state, To view the database, see www.epa.gov/cpg

The National Wildlife Federation and the National Association of Educational Buyers (NAEB) are hosting an on-line "green" purchasing course with presentations from Rutgers University and University of Colorado - Boulder officials. More information on the course can be viewed on their Driving Sustainable Marktes site.

The Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) has launched a new website at www.dcat.net. DCAT is an excellent resource for information on building codes and green buildings. Also, for more information on this topic, see RCA's policy paper, "How Building Codes Affect Sustainable Development" by Nicole Capretz.