What is the Canadian Boreal Forest and why should I care?

So, I was wondering aimlessly about the internet, and I stumbled across an article on the Canadian Boreal Forest. "That's odd", I thought to myself, "I've never heard of that." So I started reading about it and was blown away by it's importance to the world, and a little embarrassed that I knew so little.
According to the National Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org),

"Conservation Opportunity: In the far north latitudes, just below the treeless tundra of the polar region, a forest of evergreen trees encircles the earth: this is the boreal forest. The last frontier of northern forest wilderness in Canada, the boreal forest is North America's greatest conservation opportunity. Although most of the world's original wilderness forests have been logged or developed until just about 20 percent remains, approximately 80 percent of the Canadian boreal forest is still unfragmented by roads. Mostly in public hands, over half of Canada's boreal has yet to be allocated to industrial use. This situation is quickly changing, however, as the boreal forest comes under imminent threat from industrial logging, hydropower, mining and oil and gas development.

Of Global Importance: Like the Amazon, the boreal forest is of critical importance to all living things on earth. It is home to the one of the world's largest remaining stands of spruce, fir and tamarack. The thick layers of moss, soil and peat of the boreal are the world's largest terrestrial storehouse of organic carbon and play an enormous role in regulating the Earth's climate. Boreal wetlands filter millions of gallons of water each day that fill our northern rivers, lakes, and streams. As a vast, intact forest ecosystem, the boreal supports a natural web of large carnivores, such as bears, wolves and lynx along with thousands of other species of plants, mammals, birds and insects.

Home to Indigenous Peoples: The boreal forest is home to approximately 500 First Nations communities and hundreds of Métis communities, many accessible only by water or air. As the Canadian government has leased boreal public lands to industry for logging, damming and drilling, the debate about indigenous rights and land claims has come to the forefront in Canada. The connection that the indigenous peoples of the boreal forest have with the land goes beyond land use or subsistence. Elders of communities in the boreal forest talk of being "born on the ground" -- literally born outside in the boreal forest. They describe their spiritual relationship to the land on which their ancestors have walked for thousands of years, as well as their dependence on the fish, medicinal plants and wildlife of the boreal forest.

World Class Wildlife: The boreal forest is teeming with life. The more than 1.5 million lakes in the boreal are a nursery for 40 percent of North America's migratory waterfowl, such as the American black duck, mallard, blue-winged teal and northern shoveller. Approximately 30 percent of North American landbirds, including common backyard songbirds such as the warbler, raise their young each spring in Canada's boreal forest. The elusive and threatened woodland caribou, known as the grey ghost, depends for food on old-growth boreal forests and the lichen that have taken 100 years to develop there. Black bears range throughout the boreal, preferring low-lying vegetation and the abundant food provided by shrubs.

Imminent Industrial Threats: Less than 8 percent of Canada's boreal forest is protected. This provides both opportunity and danger as the logging, hydropower, petroleum and mining industries continue to exploit the southern boreal forest and eye the still unallocated northern regions. In the west, oil and gas exploration and development have carved an ever-expanding network of roads and seismic lines into the forest. Industrial hydropower dams on the boreal forest's northern wild rivers have flooded wildlife habitat, clogged lakes with sediment and killed off critical fish species.

Destruction Driven by U.S. Consumption: The United States is driving much of the demand for boreal forest resources. The United States is the destination for approximately 80 percent of Canada's forest products, including lumber, toilet paper, catalogue paper and newsprint -- much of which comes from clearcutting in the boreal forest. The United States imports more oil from Canada than from any other country and approximately 90 percent of total U.S. natural gas imports come from Canada -- primarily from Alberta, but increasingly from further north in British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories' boreal forest. Canada is the largest producer of hydropower in the world, with much of this energy going to the United States from Manitoba and Quebec's boreal-forest rivers.

Finding a Solution: There is some good news. Canada's boreal is one of the earth's last remaining "frontier forests" -- relatively undisturbed forests large enough to maintain their biodiversity. In addition, Canada's forests are 94 percent publicly owned. These conditions present a unique opportunity to conserve a large, healthy forest ecosystem, a place of incalculable value not only to Canadians, but to all of us.

NRDC is working with many other environmental groups and with First Nations to forge lasting agreements that will ensure the survival of Canada's boreal forest, allow for environmentally sustainable development of its resources and protect the culture of First Nations communities"

Greenpeace has a wonderful blog, and lots of good information and links about how Americans' preference for soft toilet paper, and the paper companies and pulp companies brain washing advertising techniques have led us to believe that we need really, really soft toilet paper and tissues. "Dave Dickson, a spokesman for Kimberly Clark, said that only 14 percent of the wood pulp used by the company came from the boreal forest.
He does not dispute that they’re cutting down ancient boreal forest, just the percentage of their product made from a 10,000-year-old ecosystem."

What? They're cutting down ancient trees so that we can have really, really soft toilet paper? I can't believe it. Another statistic stated in the Greenpeace blog says that "Americans already consume vastly more paper than any other country — about three times more per person than the average European, and 100 times more than the average person in China" and that, “Barely a third of the paper products sold in America are from recycled sources — most of it comes from virgin forests.”

I think this is ridiculous. If everyone reading this would write to Kimberly Clark, and tell everyone they know to do the same, and if we would all use recycled toilet paper, (which is NOT HORRIBLE AT ALL), perhaps we could make a difference.

The Greenpeace website also has a wonderful pocket guide which rates and recommend certain brands based on how good they are for the planet. This is an invaluable resource, please check it out and pass the word!

Remember, every little bit helps. This planet is a wonderful place, let's do our part to keep it that way! And please check out www.FreshGreenTees.com for some cute t-shirts and gifts to help spread the word! There's a large selection, and everything comes with a one hundred percent, money back guarantee.