CommodityProducts  Newsprint  Cardboard

Value-AddedProducts Paperbags Paperbags Stationary products Stationary products Sanitary paper products Sanitary paper products Coated and treated paper Coated and treated paper

Canadian Pulp & Paper Industry, 2002 ExportsEmployees # of Establishments Commodity 21.1 billion Value added 2.7 billion Why would multinational corporations favor commodity pulp & paper exports?

The Facts  Canada is the world’s leading producer and exporter of newsprint. Where do we export it?  75% goes to the US, the other 25% is exported mainly to Europe, Japan, and other Asian countries.  However, during the last 10 years we have seen a decline in both production and exports in Canada. Why has this occurred?  Technology, environmental concerns.  ; ~8-30 billion dollars in production annually.

The Facts  80% of this value-added product is exported, primarily to the US.  Although this type of product is not as heavily exported to the US as newsprint is, we see a more steady growth trend than that of commodity paper products.  ; steady growth from 5-10 billion in production

Commodity:  Lumber  Plywood  Fireboard  Particle-board Value Added:  Wood windows and doors  Wood pallets  Wood furniture  Mobile homes

Canada is the worlds largest forest products producer and exporter; we provide for 21% of all forestry exports globally. Softwood lumber:  Primarily operates out of BC and Quebec  2 nd largest in production, 1 st in export.  Most is either shipped to the US (+60%), or distributed within Canada (33%)

Maple Syrup  Canada accounts for 85% of the worlds maple syrup production. The US provides the reminder.  Quebec and New Brunswick primarily dominate this industry.  More than 80% is exported to the US.

Christmas Trees  Balsam fir, Spruce, Scots Pine, and Douglas fir.  Some are harvested from natural forest, some from plantations  Over 50% are exported; primarily from Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

The Facts  Bleach is heavily used in the production of paper products.  It is estimated that Canadian mills use over 610, 000 tones of chlorine annually to produce 10 million tones of bleached pulp to release over 1 million tones chlorinated waste into various water systems.  600, , 000, over 1, 000, 000 tones of toxins dumped

The Facts  The chemical composition of bleached pulp effluents are variable and not well characterized—we do not know exactly what is being introduced into the waterways.  Many differernt forms of bleach are used in different pulp and paper mills. What does this mean?  It is hard to predict or assess the possible consequences these chemicals may have on the aquatic environments they are dumped into.  Different types of paper reqire different types of chemicals to treat the paper.

The Facts 75% of all pulp mills in Canada may have theses effects on aquatic life:  Acute effects (immediate)--- instantly lethal  Chronic effects (over a period of time)---deformed sexual functions, and damage to other bodily functions.  Chlorine sediments have been found on water floors, within fish and other smaller organisms (algae) 1400km from the nearest pulp mill.

For a small forest animal, perhaps a squirrel, or many other forest animals:  The effects of clear-cutting for the animals of a forest would be the equivalent to:

Myth  Old-growth forests are full of sick, diseased plants and trees. A young forest is more healthy. Truth Old-growth forests are healthy ecosystems which have evolved over thousands of years. Old-growth forests are healthy ecosystems which have evolved over thousands of years. There are different trees of different ages and sizes. There are different trees of different ages and sizes. They are more resistant to disease They are more resistant to disease Decaying wood retains water and supports new life. Decaying wood retains water and supports new life. Old trees retain water and their roots hold soil in place. Old trees retain water and their roots hold soil in place.

Clearcutting:  Ravages soil and vegetation (plants,trees, shrubs, grass).  Water quality is degraded.  Fire hazards are increased.  Animals lose their homes, thus become more easily preyed upon by predators.  Animals source of food, be it other animals or vegetation are as well severely affected.

Construction of logging roads, especially ones built on slopes, can cause an:  Increase in erosion levels  Increase landslides  Animals homes are destroyed (much like clear-cutting) The logging roads almost act as a river when precipitation occurs:  Sediments, soil, and other particulates are picked up and transported elsewhere

Disease and Insects: the pest insects kill large areas of tree stands Threelined larch sawflyBarry's hairstreak Ceanothus silk moth

Over-cutting: threat to the tree population and biodiversity of an area. With over-cutting, areas can change from lush dense forest (left) to barren wastelands (right).

Over-cutting can lead to the lost of root material that can compromise soil integrity This leads to soil erosion: without soil or soil maintenance practices there is a threat of losing valuable tree growing areas