Fall 2003 Human Rights Magazine

Lawyers consume vast quantities of paper. Nearly half of the trees cut in North America-more than 550,000 each day-go to papermaking. Counting trees individually misses much of their value, however. It's really "saving forests" that should be the focus of our conservation efforts. While the paper industry does replant some trees, these plantation-grown trees do not make a true forest. They are usually managed intensively, with heavy use of petrochemical inputs such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. They are monocultures, without the mix of types and ages of trees, bushes, and undergrowth that true forests have. They also do not have the wildlife, birds, amphibians, and biological diversity of a true forest.

I am proud to announce that Human Rights has responded to the need to recycle paper and promote a healthier environment. Beginning with this edition on environmental justice, the body of the publication will be printed on chlorine-free, 80 percent post-consumer-waste recycled paper. The cost is negligible and the quality unaffected, while the resource savings will be staggering. Each ton of recycled paper used in place of a ton of virgin paper saves seventeen trees. The use of recycled paper reduces total energy consumption by 27 percent, net greenhouse gas emissions by 47 percent, and wastewater by 33 percent. I encourage the readers of Human Rights to investigate the use of recycled paper products for their business and personal needs.

Kathi J. Pugh
Chair, Editorial Board
Human Right