4 ounces of fun in the sun

Congrats go out to C. Matthews of Ottawa, ON, who won the random drawing today for sunscreen from Kiss My Face.

Thanks go out to all of those who entered with their fabulous summer green tips!

a rose by any other name

Everyone needs some time off in the summer, and the team here at footprint is no exception. After some much needed sunshine (avec sunscreen of course!) we're back and eager to bring you more light steps.

Speaking of vacations, one of us had a nasty dining surprise when she found out that her beloved pan-seared Chilean sea bass is actually the Antarctic toothfish - over-fished, and endangered.

Mainly caught in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, industrial fishing for this key predatory fish started in 1996 with New Zealand and now includes a dozen nations.

Though the industry maintains that the fishing pressure has not yet caused irreparable harm to the ecosystem, reports indicate that the fishing already has already had a dramatic impact.

The Ross Sea ecosystem, the last healthy open-ocean ecosystem left on earth, is in immanent danger.

So what's a girl to do?

Stop eating Chilean sea bass for one (try this seafood selector from the Environmental Defense Fund), and start supporting organizations like The Last Ocean Project, who is giving the Ross Sea a voice.

boreal forests 1: kleenex 0

Yesterday, the Kimberly-Clark Corporation - maker of Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle tissues - announced it will change production standards to increase forest conservation due to pressure from a five year Greenpeace campaign called Kleercut.

At a news conference in Washington DC, Greenpeace and Kimberly-Clark announced this historic agreement that will ensure greater protection and sustainable management of Canada's Boreal Forest. The agreement also will stand as a model for forest-products companies worldwide.

Kimberly-Clark is the largest global tissue producer, manufacturing more than 4 million tons of tissues annually. They had formerly used virgin fibers to produce the single-use tissue materials.

By the end of 2011, Kimberly-Clark will stop using any forest products derived from the Canadian boreal unless that wood is Forest Stewardship Council certified, and the company will ensure that 40% of its North American tissue fiber is either recycled or Forest Stewardship Council-certified, an increase of more than 70% over 2007 levels.

From Richard Brooks, Greenpeace Canada’s forest campaign coordinator:

Today’s announcement shows that perseverance and dedication can achieve great environmental victories even after many years of campaigning.

I expect to a large ripple effect from this policy and its implementation for years to come. We have moved a mountain and that is going to have impacts around the world.