Posted on 02/27/2009 9:11:48 AM PST by LottieDah
The tenderness of the delicate American buttock is causing more environmental devastation than the country's love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public's insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom.
"This is a product that we use for less than three seconds and the ecological consequences of manufacturing it from trees is enormous," said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defence Council.
"Future generations are going to look at the way we make toilet paper as one of the greatest excesses of our age. Making toilet paper from virgin wood is a lot worse than driving Hummers in terms of global warming pollution." Making toilet paper has a significant impact because of chemicals used in pulp manufacture and cutting down forests.
A campaign by Greenpeace seeks to raise consciousness among Americans about the environmental costs of their toilet habits and counter an aggressive new push by the paper industry giants to market so-called luxury brands.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Simply consider the demand; since we demand it more, there will be more trees planted to supply our demand. On the other hand, if we preferred recycled material, then there would be less incentive to plant trees to supply the demand for "virgin wood."
Okay, I take this to mean that they are coming for our toilet paper next. Time to build a storage shed and start stocking up, like I am doing with real light bulbs.
This so-called “virgin” wood is grown on tree farms for the purpose of making wood pulp. We aren’t cutting down redwoods to clean our bums.
I can think of at least one situation where a small piece of otherwise worthless paper might come in handy.
[Meanwhile, I just might adopt:"Future generations are going to look at the way we make toilet paper as one of the greatest excesses of our age."...as a new tag line, it is so much less stressful than "The DOW is falling like a rock and we're all going to die"]
...oh, and they can have my TP when they take it from my cold, dead A$$!!
You gotta love the NRDC. Someone has the time there to long for the days when you had to watch out for wood chips in the cheap stuff. It's sort of like being nostalgic for diphtheria.
I have never tasted toilet paper, soft or hard.
The paper companies plant ad grow trees faster than they use them, there’s no more a virgin in that forest than there is in the Environmentalists’ church.
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Allen Hershkowitz can wipe my ass and then kiss it.
Absolutely. However, in defense of the Libs, it’s just another step in their economic recovery plan.
Beginning in July, all solid excrement over 6” will have to be lowered by hand, anyway, for proper ASSessment of the new Turd Tax. So, your hand will already be there.
Take heart that you are not only saving the planet, but(t) supporting the economy, too.
"Conserve toilet paper -- use both sides."
I suppose you could use the New York Times..
Two words: Baby wipes. Feels better than toilet paper and twice as bad for the environment!
Naw, just use a rag, then wash it out in the creek.
Charman from my dead cold fingers.
This reminds me of the Sly Stallone, Wesley Snipes film “Demolition Man”, which depicted a future where toilet paper was banned and replaced by “the three sea shells”.
There were a couple of other things in the film that have a striking similarity to the emerging Obamaian Liberal Dystopia.
* All guns were banned. Snipes’ evil character went to a museum to get an aresenal.
* All citizens were tagged so they could be tracked via GPS. Obama’s transportation department wants to institute a “mileage tax” that would require all automobiles to be tracked by GPS.
it’s interesting that they only point out “americans” when Proctor and Gamble markets their charmin soft bath tissue in various countries in the world.
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