January 12, 2009 - RISI | The huge black-liquor subsidy of pulp mills expired last week, but that isn't stopping the U.S. forest-products industry from tapping taxpayers' money in other ways. Three-fourths of the pulp and paper companies that received U.S. black-liquor tax credits are signed up to benefit from another biofuel subsidy, the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). But also among the more than 100 mills that have been approved as BCAP "biomass conversion facilities" are at least several that were put at a competitive disadvantage by the black-liquor program, which expired on Dec. 31.

January 8, 2009 - eMedia Vitals | The future of digital distribution on electronic readers is as fuzzy as the resolution offered by first-generation devices. The success of the Kindle caused publishers to take notice of the potential of digital periodicals as a new revenue stream; now, as more new devices flood the market, the urgency of choosing the right platform and developing an actual strategy for e-readers increases.

December 26, 2009 - Monga Bay | Over the past few weeks the United States has been pounded by a number of big snow storms. A week ago Washington DC received 18 inches of snow, setting a number of records. Over Christmas, the middle of the country, from Texas to Minnesota was also hit by record amounts of snow. While snow fall over the East Coast and middle of the country in the United States in December is hardly unusual, a number of record amounts of precipitation may point to a larger shift in the climate. Scientists say that higher temperatures causes more water evaporation, which increases the chances of heavy precipitation events, such as floods and snowstorms.

December 22, 2009 - Tiller LLC | When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, there’s “getting leaner” – and now, for many Americans, “getting greener.” A little more than half – 53% – of all American adults say they will make a green New Year’s resolution this year, according to the results of a poll released here today by Tiller, LLC, one of the nation’s leading consultancies on the design and implementation of advocacy marketing programs. 8 of 10 respondents plan to reduce their energy consumption and recycle more, while 75% want to buy from environmentally responsibly companies.

December 17, 2009 - Monga Bay | More than half world's science academies have signed a statement supporting a plan to save tropical forests as a means to fight climate change, reports the Global Canopy Program, an initiative that has worked closely with Prince Charles to promote rainforest conservation. The statement argues that tropical forest protection is a critical strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15-20 years. It calls upon world leaders to reach a consensus on a path forward for a funding package that would support the infrastructure needed to develop an effective reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) mechanism.

December 2, 2009 - Media Post News | Print advertising's green credibility is suspect. Common sense says that ink spread across a dead tree, hauled via plane and truck to an individual doorstep is not the most energy-efficient way of disseminating information. The pulp and paper industry as a whole is the fourth-largest contributor of toxic releases to air, according to the U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory Database. Even if it's not the greatest contributor to air pollution, (e.g., recent studies are pointing to the IT industry's carbon footprint as equal to the airline industry's) there is still room for much improvement.

November 30, 2009 - Publishers Weekly | The Hachette Book Group has announced a new environmental policy that will increase the publisher’s use of recycled paper, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The policy has both long-term and short-term targets. By 2012, Hachette plans to raise the use of recycled fiber from 3% to 30%, with a majority of the fiber to be postconsumer. Hachette also intends to have FSC-certified papers account for at least 20% of paper use by 2012. 2020 is the target date for Hachette to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and to reduce its carbon footprint 2% per year off of a 2008 baseline.