| Forevar.....EEEVAR! |
[08 Oct 2009|11:42am] |
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It's been forever since my last post. So much has happened. New school, new boyfriend, new friends--it's been a long ride. I'll post more when I feel like I have something to say.
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| New goal in life... |
[08 May 2008|01:26pm] |
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My new official goal in life is to embarrass Davey as much as possible.
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[04 May 2008|01:09pm] |
Went to hang out with my friend, Angelique, yesterday.
It rained so hard I could barely see out the windshield.
I hit a puddle and started hydroplaning.
Almost lost control.
Scared me half to death.
Turned around.
Went home.
Called Angelique.
She didn't believe me.
She hung up on me.
I feel under appreciated.
I drove in dangerous weather to go see her.
Is she really that cold?
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| Robotics Quotes |
[04 May 2008|01:07pm] |
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music |
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This Is Not A Test by Oppenheimer |
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Emily presents...
Great Quotes from the BHS Robotics team 2008!
(25) Chris: (leaning on a nice car, trying to flirt with a girl) "How you doin'?"
Girl: "Get off my mom's car...you might dent it!"
(Note: Chris is fat)
(24) "Wow...I just got it...the Pink Panthers are a team of black girls."
(23) "Team 1274 is hot, dog."
(22) Me: "Ha! Everyone is going to be asking you why you're in a hotdog suit!"
Mike: "Yeah, if anyone asks me, I'm going to ask them why they're wearing a person suit."
(21) "HAHAHA!!! It says "Blow out" on Mr. Albert's Men's Ware store!"
(20) Mike: "Man, it's too bad they kicked us out of the club house upstairs...those were really comfy seats!"
Me: (Pointing at the club house) "Fuck yo' couch, Nigga!"
(19) "So wait...That company steals your dreams...and then turns you into a hermaphadite?"
(18) Graffiti we found in Cleveland:
"I like midget hookers!
(with big boobs!)
(and hunchbacks too!)"
(17) Charlotte: "Ok, so what do you want our mascot to be next year? A wolf or a spartan?"
Chris: "Which one is your choice charlotte?"
Charlotte: "The wolf"
Chirs: "Then I pick the wolf"
Mike: "You only picked the wolf cause charlottes a girl"
Charlotte: "Oh yeah, I win cause I'm a girl!
Mike: "Great now your whoring your self out for votes. Who do you think you are? Hillary Clinton?!"
(16) Kid 1: "YES! We beat midpark! HAHA! They came in dead last! What place did we come in?"
Kid 2: "45th...Second to last..."
(15) "BYE JUSTIN!!!" (note: Justin got left behind last year)
(14) "We cant start a war. We're on a bus. Charlotte's got no where to run! lol!" (note: Charlotte is French)
(13) "Dude, the M.C. last year would pro-nun-see-ate eh-ver-ee thing. He was like M.C. Grammar....STOP! GRAMMAR TIME!"
(12) "I lost the game..."
(11) "I think I fell asleep in butt rape alley..."
(10) (lights a piece of paper on fire) "OH MY GOD! A FIRE!! PUT IT OUT!!!"
(9) "That's the point! Surprise attacks are unexpected!"
(8) (leaning against the ladder) "Where the hell is the fucking ladder?!?!"
(7) "You dropped your dignity...OH MAN YOU ACTUALLY LOOKED! HAHAHAHA!!!"
(6) Mike: "The tally showed that majority of the team wanted white t-shirts this year. I even put in a vote for you because I know you're a black person."
Me: "That's right, Mike. I'm a black person."
(5) Brian: "Chris, do you know what poontang is?"
Chris: "...No."
Brian: "Go look it up!"
Chris: (to Lizzie) "What's poontang?"
(4) (trying to guess what the other is drawing) "It's a jackel! Is it a jackel?...Is it a wolverine?...OH! MARTIN LUTHER KING!!! ....nevermind, it's a fire truck."
(3) "Insulating a house is kind of like playing tetris with a utility knife"
(2) Chris: (defensively)"NO!!! I'VE LOST MY VIRGINITY!"
Mike 2: "yeah...TO A HAM SANDWICH!"
(1) "Lesbians are like unicorns: they don't really exist, but they're pretty to look at!
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| Summer--Day 1 |
[03 May 2008|12:11pm] |
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Mike is home!
He's home for the summer so that means that it's sort of my summer too.
I'm going to hang out with my two best friends in the world, my boyfriend, and Angelique.
Poor Mike is sicker than a rabid raccoon.
He says he thinks it's part of all the stress from finals and that just being with me is a great relief.
I feel the same. It's a huge weight off my shoulders now that he's home.
I love him so much.
This summer's going to be better than ever before.
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| Writer's Block: I'm So Excited |
[25 Apr 2008|01:55pm] |
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My boyfriend, Mike. He's helped me through the rough times with my bipolar. He's coming home soon. I can't wait to do simple things like cook him a meal or just go for a walk with him. He makes me feel very safe and comfortable. I feel like I can always rely on him to protect me. Who knows how good (or bad) our future might be. I'd love to think that things will stay this good for a really long time. I love the fact that he's very responsible. He always seems to be doing something extra to make the world a better place. Whether it's his activism, volunteer work, life style choices (such as recycling), or even just being one more person who's holding a steady job in this country. He always tells me that I'm so good to him. I don't think he alway realizes that he deserves it. I don't like to reward or punish him as if he was controlling him, but I love doing things for him when he's doing something good. I love letting him know that there's someone out there who appreciates him. I'm truly blessed to have him.
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| Writer's Block: Happy Friday |
[25 Apr 2008|01:52pm] |
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I'm looking forward to getting my paycheck today so I can begin paying off my debt to my parents. Thank goodness I didn't do more damage to mom's car. I kind of want to go to church on sunday as well. I like seeing Rev. Don and Tammy. To me they'll always be Uncle Don and Aunt Tammy.
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| I feel wonderful! |
[20 Apr 2008|11:11am] |
First and foremost, I'm FINALLY on the right medication. What a long battle this has been. I've felt so horrible ever since elementary school and it's wonderful to finally feel normal. Don't get me wrong, I'm still the goofball I've always been. Just think of it as Emily 2.0. I have less viruses and shit :-P.
Secondly, I finally got to see Mike yesterday. I took a day trip up to Bowling Green to see him. Things between us are better than ever. We went to the Annual Africa dinner together. That was awesome! There was traditional African dance, people dressed in traditional African clothing, authentic African dishes. They had singers and poets preform. It was amazing. His BG friends are wonderful too. It seems like everyone of them had something interesting to say. We also watched 'American Beauty' together. I really liked that movie; it was really interesting. Mike and I are still trying to figure out what exactly the roses are symbols of. I think they may symbolize the facade that each of the characters put up. I think I'm going to have to watch it again :-P.
In all, I just feel awesome! I'm really excited about summer. I have a wonderful job, a wonderful boyfriend, and I'm finally feeling chemically stable. Things just seem to be falling together!
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| Edge of Water |
[19 Feb 2008|12:54pm] |
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"The Edge Of Water"
[verse]
Have you ever been haunted
The way I've been by you?
And have you ever felt
The measure of the days
That I've spent waiting
Pining for you?
[chorus]
I can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel Your breath
For the wind
I don't want to step from
These shadows
Till you're comin' back again
[verse]
I've dammed these emotions
To keep my lanterns lit
Shaken by this longing
Coursing through my veins
In my mind, I can't make sense of it
[chorus]
Can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel Your breath
For the wind
I get so used to these shadows
Are You comin' back again?
[bridge]
Do we give up the search
And turn out the lights?
And give up this Holy Ghost
That rattles through the night?
[chorus]
Can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel Your breath
For the wind
I don't want to step from these shadows
Till you come back again
Can't see the sun for the daylight
Can't feel Your breath
For the wind
I get so used to these shadows
Will You chase away these shadows
When You come back again?
When You come back...again
When You come back...again
When You come back...again
When You come back
When You come back...again
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[19 Feb 2008|12:45pm] |
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mood |
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 worried |
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Awkward Turtle Story of the Day
I was on my way to the TLC at Tri-C today when I saw Taylor. For anyone reading this who doesn't know, Taylor is my ex-boyfriend. I met him on a marine biology expedition trip in the Bahamas. He went to my high school's (BHS) rivaling school, Midpark. I suppose seeing an ex-boyfriend is always awkward, but this particular time was different.
First I should tell you why we broke up. At the time we were going out, I was still sort of interested in this guy, Mike, who went to my high school. I loved Taylor but I felt bad because I also had feelings for Mike. I found myself occasionally thinking about Mike before I would think about Taylor...and that scared me. I hate the idea of cheating and that's exactly what I felt like I was doing. I wasn't even really doing anything wrong I suppose, but I still felt bad every time I thought about Mike. The thought of hurting Taylor made my stomach upset. I knew Taylor wasn't the kind of guy who would cheat on me. As I said before, even if I wasn't even really doing anything wrong, I still felt like I was cheating. Taylor seemed so innocent. He was the kind of guy you never worried about when it came to other girls. All teenage boys have hormones. They look at girls, they flirt with girls, and fantasize about some of them, but Taylor was not the kind of guy to make a move on another girl. He was very shy but kind. I was his first girlfriend and I knew he really did love me. After a few weeks of having that little splinter stuck in my mind, I finally made the decision. I decided that I had to break up with Taylor. I loved him, but I loved Mike more. I knew that even if I never got a chance with Mike, I would find other guys that I loved more than Taylor and that this cycle would only continue. It would eat away at me and I would only hurt Taylor. Finally, I gained enough courage to break up with him. It hurt to do that to him. I still loved him and I know he was very selfless with his love toward me. He took it pretty well, but it has sort of haunted me ever since.
After Mike graduated and just two days after my birthday, he asked me on our first date. We began dating and fell completely in love with each other. A year and 8 months later we are still together and happier than ever.
I still sometimes worry that Taylor isn't completely okay about what happened between us. He doesn't know that I broke up with him because of Mike. When I broke up with him I told him it was because I didn't think that what I felt for him was true love. He seemed okay with it and every time I see him at Tri-C, he smiles and says "Hi". Sometimes we stop and chat for a while. He always seems cool with the fact that we're just friends. The reason it was more awkward today when I saw him was because there was another person there who was part of our conversation and who was asking if it was weird that we're still friends. She was also asking who broke up with who and stuff like that. I tried to read what Taylor was thinking from him face but I couldn't really get anything from it. He said it wasn't awkward for him but I don't know if he just said that to be nice or not. He seemed kind of taken back by the questions and was sort of hesitant to put his input in. That worried me a little. Maybe I'm just worried about something that isn't real, but I suppose I only feel this way because Taylor never did anything wrong. I'm afraid that he thinks he did something wrong or that he was a bad boyfriend. Taylor did nothing wrong, Mike was just a better fit for me. I hope he knows that. We've been planning to hang out soon. I hope that I can talk to him about it when we have somewhere to talk alone. I want him to know what happened and that he did nothing wrong. I just don't want to hurt him anymore. I'm worried that telling him the truth will hurt him and I'm afraid that ignoring the subject will leave him hurt without answers. I just hope to do the right thing. Taylor is a great guy. He's just not the best fit for me. I just hope I didn't give him any wrong messages.
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| Kleercut! |
[18 Sep 2007|09:19pm] |
Have you heard the word today?
No, not the word of Jesus Christ,
The word of Kimberly-Clark Incorporated!
"Kimberly-Clark is the largest tissue product company in the world."(1) Kimberly-Clark (KC) owns some more familiar companies such as Kleenex, Cottonelle, Cottonelle Puppy, Andrex, Scottbrand, Hakle, and Scottex. "Kimberly-Clark produces 3.7 million tonnes (4 million tons) of tissue products annually and generates net sales of $14.3 billion US. The company has offices, factories and mills in 38 countries and its products are sold in 150 countries."(1) You will find their products everywhere. Just check the label on the hygienic products at your business, school, local businesses, and your own house. It's quite likely that you have at least one, if not more, of their products available to your use through out your day. Why am I mentioning this? There is a dark side to KC that you may not be aware of. Although they haven't built a death star to destroy our planet in a single blast yet, they have been doing some horrible things to our environment.
It's become relatively commonly know that being "green" is a fad. America is beginning to favor companies who claim to be environmentally friendly. Strangely, Kimberly-Clark has not only stayed away from the trend, they have actually advertised in the opposite direction! Some of you might be wondering how they continue to make billions a year with such obscure sales pitches. However, advertising can mean the difference between viewing a statement as a pro or a con. The company's sales pitch said this:
"KLEENEX Facial Tissue is made from 100 per cent virgin fibre and contains no recycled fibre. Virgin fibre is used in our tissue because it provides the superior softness consumers expect from a premium facial tissue product."
-Kleenex-(2)
Now I can understand how it appeals to people that the tissue is made from high quality fibre and is soft to the touch. Some people have sensitive skin and like the feel of soft tissues on their face, hands, bottoms, and anywhere else you might use KC products. I understand why this appeals to people but the sad fact is that KC is destroying ancient forest for disposable products, I.E. the company is cutting down ancient forest to make a tissue that you will blow your nose on once and then throw away. I've composed this blog to help anyone who views it become educated about the issue and make their own decisions based on facts. As you may have guessed, I do not support KC and their destruction of ancient virgin forest but I will also tell you truth and reference my material. I invite you to check my sources, correct any incorrect information, and leave comments with your views on the issue. Being right is not my goal, being educated and taking action based on information is.
Where exactly are they cutting down these forest you're talking about?
KC gets it's fibres from a variety of different forest. The most well known are the forest of British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia. Some fibres also were taken from various forest in Southwestern United States. However, the forest thought to be most prominent and environmentally harmful of these sources is the Boreal forest in Northwestern Ontario. The forest is literally thousands of years old and is said to have changed very little of the thousands of years it has existed in Ontario. (3) The forest is laced with hardwood and conifer trees. These forest contain amazing tree species such as the boreal spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, poplar, birch, tamarack and cedar. (3) Although majority of the trees in this forest are not rare or endangered species, these trees are not grown in a few years. "The trees range in age from 70 years to 180 years old. Many of these trees come from forests that have never been industrially logged. These forests have existed since the last ice age which occurred approximately 10,000 years ago."(1) The main issues that arise from logging the virgin Boreal forest are not easily solved once the damage has been done.
Ok, but they're only trees. Is logging trees for paper products really as harmful as environmentalist make it out to be?
Well, I suppose it depends on what you've been told by these "environmentalist". If you've heard from an extremist who lived in a tree for a decade that the world is going to end in a year or two and that you will go to hell if you don't save the environment, then you may want to double check their sources. Of all the investigation I've done about environmental issues, I have concluded that there isn't enough solid evidence to conclude that we are in any extreme immeadiate danger. However, the threat does exist and it is very much real. Here are some of the facts about the effects of deforestation. Losing those trees destroys habitats for woodland animals, reduces the protection the roots provide from soil erosion, allows invasive species to dominate the area, and eats up our available resources at a faster rate then it replenishes them. Even smaller issues can have a great effect on us. Trees take other pollutants out of our water and air as well as the fact that we have less forest to use for recreational purposes. Although it may seem unimportant, our effect on the wildlife of the area can effect us as well. Destroying the habitat of the animals that live in the Boreal forest will force them to find new habitats. Eventually the amount of forest will become too small and the animals will not be able to live in dense enough groupings to survive. Thus, animals will leave the forest in search of new habitat. Without forest for them to venture into they will begin to expand their habitat into ours. The number of roadkills begin to increase including accidents that lead to human death such as some that occur from hitting dear. Animals from the forest will cause other problems such as damaging property, making habitats from open garages, sheds, and small buildings, not to mention rummaging through dumpster and trash cans for food. The last major problem that can occur from habitat destruction is disease. As animals are forced to live in smaller spaces and closer together, they tend to spread diseases from animal to animal at a much quicker rate. As disease spreads, populations will begin to dwindle and hunted animals will be unfit for eating. If wild animals invading our cities wasn't bad enough, diseased wandering animals will only make the situation worse.
A real example from my childhood.
You may be able to see examples of destruction of habitat happening in your own backyard or neighborhood. If you happen to live near woods, in the country, or in the suburbs (especially if you are in a new subdivision that was previously a wooded area) you'll ocationally see animals such as deer wandering down your street or nibbling your grass or vegetable garden. Although some animals become confused and accidentally wander into cities or towns, majority of them are looking for something and It's usually not the latest fashion at the mall. Animals will usually venture from the safety of a more secluded natural habitat when they have a lack of food or shelter. Following their instincts, they will set out in search of whatever they need to survive. I live in a small suburb of Cleveland near a park system that runs through northeast Ohio called the Cleveland Metro Parks. When I was a little kid a deer made headlines in the local paper when it wandered into town and panicked from the alien sights, sounds, smells, and unfamiliar terrain of the city. The deer was startled by a passing by car and jumping through, what it thought, was an opening in a video rental store. The "opening", however, was a pane of glass which shattered, sending glass flying through the air and toward startled customers and cutting the frightened deer with millions of sharp fragments. Even more started by the invisible barrier it had just run into, the customers in the store, and the unknown objects now embedded in it's body, the wild animal ran aimlessly through the store. It knocked over and destroyed shelf after shelf of videos, smashing and toppling anything in it's path. Frightened customers struggled to get out of the store with out further upsetting the wounded deer. The employees working at the rental store dialed 911 as they tried to protect themselves by hiding behind the check-out counter. By the time the police arrived, the deer had panicked with such violent force that it had cut itself even more on the metal shelves, glass covered floor, and corners of videotapes that the defenseless animal had bled to death. It's this part of the story that still make me sad to thing about to this very day. The dear was not likely looking to hurt anyone nor did it probably intend to wander into such a strange environment. The deer was only trying to defend itself and, in the process, killed itself. If I remember correctly, no one was seriously injured, but the danger those customers faced was quite real. The deer caused thousands of dollars in damages, minor wounds to customers in the store, and a seriously sharp and bloody mess of glass, a deer carcass, paperwork, repair cost, and probably more legal junk than they had motivation to deal with. The business couldn't cover the cost of repairs or other financial chaos caused by the accident and didn't re-open after that. I sometimes try to picture the surprised customers trying to save themselves from a gauntlet unleashed by a adrenaline filled animal accompanied by the countless flying miniature daggers of glass, shelving units, and video casettes. I'm not confident in my ability to successfully complete the obstacle coarse if I was spontaneously thrown into an extremely terrifying version of real life Frogger. I've had my own extremely close, but thankfully harmless, encounters with deer in the some woods near my house. I've learned know that standing five feet from a full grown buck gives you a very accurate idea of just how large and powerful Bambi can be. There are two major things this story has helped me to remember as I've become more environmentally active. The first of these is that wild animals are called wild for a reason. Even animals that are naturally docile and gentle can become violent and/or dangerous when they feel threatened or simply frightened. An animal is not something we can define as things that are "cute and fluffy" nor can we always rely on our ability to tame them or domesticate as pets. We must remember that nature can have a unpredictable and dangerous side. That cute spotted fawn you saw in the spring may have a very dangerous set of horns by fall. Nature must be respected for your own safety whether the threats you experience are intentional or not. The second lesson being that you should invest in good insurance, especially if you are an aspiring entrepreneur.
Kimberly-Clark markets themselves as a "green" company; why are organizations like Greenpeace so eager to attack a "green" company?
It's all about advertising for the most part. Some companies will claim that they care about the environment even if do nothing to improve it or promote an environmentally friendly world. If I haven't already mentioned this, I don't think that Kimberly-Clark is just an evil corporation out to trick ignorant customers into destroying their planet as they give their money to their company. Although some of KC's products are made from 100% virgin fibre, not all of their products are marketed as such prestigious quality. A website specifically made to educate and ignite effective action against the Kimberly-Clark company states that not all products are pure virgin fibre. "In North America, less than 19% of the pulp that Kimberly-Clark uses for its disposable tissue products comes from recycled sources."(1) So even the environmentalist will agree that they corporations like KC aren't completely ignoring the issue; what's the problem? The problem now turns to personal opinion. Many environmental groups believe that it's not enough. Although companies may be starting a new trend (in which "going green" creates the image of customer care for current and future generations), some companies are not as green as you may be led to think. Kimberly-Clark has been questioned about it's role in environmental preservation. In this next section I will show a few of the claims the company made and add analysis from both environmentalist groups and myself.
Kimberly-Clark claims that it already protects ecologically significant old growth areas in Ontario.
This statement is true. In fact, Kimberly-Clark is part of the Ontario Living Legacy Land Use Strategy. This program is supposed to work to budget how they use the land most effectively and with the least amount of impact on the environment possible. Although it is good that the company is involved in such a program, the forest that KC is working to protect (the Kenogami forest) is only kind of protected. "Less than 2.4% of the Kenogami Forest is set aside in areas protected from logging. The average amount for lands licensed to forestry companies is 12% in protected areas. And 12% is much lower than what Greenpeace and most scientists believe is ecologically responsible."(1) As the environmental activist group Kleercut says, "Kimberly-Clark simply does not meet the grade."(1)
Kimberly-Clark claim to be committed to sustainable forestry.
As some of you may or may not agree, the previous claim and analysis seem to oppose this statement. It's almost ironic when you consider that this claim came from a company who sells paper products (which, undoubtebly, require wood fibre to produce). As silly as it may seem, there is truth to these claims as stated before. The company has made some efforts to slow their impact on the environment. The issue arises when their efforts seem to come up sort. It was discoverd in November 2000 that over 1 million cubic metres (1.3 million cubic yards) of trees had been cut and left to rot on the side of logging roads in the Kenogami Forest in northern Ontario, Canada.(1) I would assume that this was part of a mistake or kink in the KC system seeing as Kimberly-Clark has no motivation to waste material (not to mention that it's actually harmful to their company to waste supplies). Yet, if these claims are true, it is a mistake that can't be ignored. If materials are being wasted then it's not even one time use. If I was an extreme enough environmentalist to suggest that plants have soul, can feel pain, or have thoughts, I might even go as far to say that this case was murder on a corperate level. However, I do not believe that plants do not have any awareness of emotions, physical pain, or mental capacity, killing a tree that was not harming it's surroundings is unnecessary. Furthermore, as I explained earlier in this entry, trees are beneficial to the rest of the environment, animals, and human beings.
Kimberly-Clark claims that the Boreal forest in not threatened becuase of pulp production and that much of it's pulp from the Boreal forest is saw mill waste.
This claim is partially true. I think the company kind of saved it's skin by the way they worded this claim. It is true that the Boreal forest is not threatened when based purely on the production of pulp products such as those produced by Kimberly-Clark. However, pulp production is not the only issue. Paper pulp and lumber stripped from the Boreal forest is another common factor in the deterioration of the ancient forest. So why are activist picking on Kimberly-Clark. Well, they really aren't. The Kimberly-Clark corporation is really the tip of the iceburg. Some groups are attacking the paper and lumber industries, not because of the fact that they're logging as much as the fact that they are logging the few remaining ancient forest in the world. After all, 80% of the original ancient forest have been destroyed by human industrialization.(1) The remaining 20% is still being logged and soon it will be gone.The pulp producing businesses in Canada are very closely linked to the the paper and lumber businesses of Canada. In fact, they are intertwined in such a way that they have become directly dependent upon one another. If one of these markets were to fail, the others would almost definitely collapse with out the mutual financial support that connects them.(1) As for the use of saw mill waste, I was shocked at the results I found. I don't know if there is really an argument in favor of KC using saw mill waste seeing as the responses that I found said, in short, that it was completely wrong. I found a few sentences which seemed to answer all my questions. They responded that "Kimberly-Clark is also incorrect in stating that much of their fiber is deriverd from saw mill residue or waste. In fact, according to the Kenogami Forest Management Plan - the official government-approved plan written by Neenah Paper Inc. that outlines logging operations in Ontario's Kenogami Forest - 48% of the wood used in the Neenah Paper's pulp mill comes directly from the Boreal forest. This wood is not sawed first at a local saw mill nor delivered in the form of sawdust or chips. Neenah Paper is a currently a major supplier of pulp to Kimberly-Clark and was owned by Kimberly-Clark up until November 2004. The Kenogami Forest is a Boreal forest."(1) If you're still pulling for Kimberly-Clark, I'll try to be fair and say that this response only said that Neenah Paper Inc. was a major supplier for KC and there is a possibility that KC receives saw mill waste from other small companies that are unmentioned. However, I must admit, it seems kind of fishy to me.
Kimberly-Clark claims to be committed to third-party forest certification.
I'll be honest. The first time I read this claim I scratched my head as I wondered "What is a third-party forest certification?" For anyone else who may not be familiar with the TPFC, I'll give you a brief definition. In short the TPFC is a system used to recognize of well-managed forestland. The sustainability of a forestland is determined, in a nut shell, by the maintenance of the ecological, economical, and social components. The certification process is monitored and regulated by the Forest Stewardship Counsil (FSC). "The FSC is a non-governmental international organization that accredits third-party certifiers and facilitates development of forest management standards"(4) To put it simply, the FSC sets the general international standard of what "good forest management" is and recognizes bodies (whether it be companies, organizations, etc.) who meet their standards of forest sustainability. I also found out that there are other smaller organizations which will recognize companies in that deal with forestry (or lack there of) and certify them according to their own standards of what a sustainable forest is and if the company qualifies for forest certification. Kimberly-Clark claims that they have been given this recognition but there seems to be a disagreement about their certification. Seeing as the FSC is the official "big cheese" when it comes to the process and recognition of the TPFC, a lot of environmentalist groups only consider their recognitions official forest certification. I suppose it comes down to how picky you are about the definition of a sustainable forest when deciding whether certain companies are certified or not. Kimberly-Clark is certified by organizations such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Canadian Standards Association.(1) The reason that organizations like Greenpeace and Kleercut are so upset about their certification not being from the FSC is because the of the system used to qualify KC for this recognition were created by industry, for industry, and are by definition neither ecologically nor socially progressive. Many environmentalist feel that both ecological and social aspects of forest maintenance are important to true sustainability and do not truly make KC a TPFC'd recognized company. So how is this fixed. We'll some people think that there isn't a problem (any forest certification is a valid forest certification), but for those who don't, they suggest steps toward the FSC's standard. One such suggestion is for companies could, along with using more recycled fibres in their products, that any virgin fibres they do use could be purchased through companies who have already achieved FSC forest certification to ensure that what resources we are taking from forest are not destroying ancient forest or having a significant impact on our planet. Once again, the best defense for KC is that it technically has a forest certification, just recognized through a different system which which many consider to be an "unofficial" certification.
Kimberly-Clark tissue products do not contain fiber from sensitive southeasthern forest.
This one up because I want to give some chance for people to see the other side of the argument even though I am arguing in favor of the activist groups trying to end Kimberly-Clark's destruction of ancient forest. This sounded to me like it could have been a sentence clipped from a piece of hate mail to an environmental activist's group. The response to this according to Kleercut (who, I would image, was informed of this several times by disgruntled tissue enthusiast prior to it's appearance in the FAQ section of their website {see reference 1 for sight address}), was they, nor anyone working with them, was trying to specifically make a point about the southeastern forest being logged. The one flaw I could see in Kleercut's rebuttal is that they do mention it in the list of forest that are being logged for Kimberly-Clark products. Although I agree that this claim is not extremely relevant, seeing as Kleercut's primary focus IS the preservation of the Boreal forest of northeastern Ontario, the legitimacy of their information of the other listed forest in danger seems questionable as the response continues. Kleercut specifically states "If it [Kimberly-Clark] were proud about the type of logging it supported, Kimberly-Clark would publicly disclose the various sources of the fiber it uses for its tissue products. To date, it hasn't."(1) If Kimberly-Clark hasn't publicly disclosed their logging sources, how are they sure of which forest are being logged for KC? I understand that it's not impossible for this information to be found with out the company revealing it, but it does put some doubt in their sources. I think this would be the one point that I can say I disagree with the information that Kleercut has put on their website. I think they should be more specific about their knowledge of the destruction of the other listed forest. When you are arguing a point such as this it is a big difference between Kleercut saying "We have proof that Kimberly-Clark is logging these forest" or "We have a hunch/a rumor/a educated quess that Kimberly-Clark is clear cutting these forest". How silly would it be if Kimberly-Clark finally revealed that they weren't clear cutting some of the forest that people thought they were? There would be a bunch of very embarrassed looking activist who blindly followed false information only to learn that they put their time and effort into an issue that didn't exist. Don't get me wrong. The information provided about the clear cutting of the Boreal forest in Ontario seems to check out, but the details are just as important.
**If you would like to read more questions and responses or even e-mail Kleercut to answer your own questions, see the first reference at the bottom of this entry. Once again feel free to respond to this entry by leaving me a comment. I would be glad to answer questions and discuss your views.
Wait a minute! Kimberly-Clark isn't the only company who's doing this! What about Proctor & Gamble? Why aren't you concerned with them?
Well, personally I am concerned. I've actually just used Kimberly-Clark as an example. Kleercut's explanation is that KC is the largest hygienic tissue product company in the world and Proctor & Gamble isn't. This is one more point that I don't completely agree with them on. I try to educate people about as many companies that are as harmful as Kimberly-Clark is to our environment. Proctor & Gamble is one of those corporations. I did a bit of my own research and found that Puffs tissues (a brand of Proctor & Gamble) I understand that focusing on a very specific topic (as Kleercut has) has allowed them to put a lot of more specific information out there than putting a lot of vague and general information about a very broad topic out to the public. As a relatively large organization that was probably a smart move to ensure that they weren't trying to research and publicize every bit of information of a very broad subject. The research would never end and by the time they had all the information they needed to give a good argument and create an active group of people, the forest would be long gone...not to mention that there is no server known to man that could support the mother-of-all-websites they would need to make to display all that information. Finding information would be like find a specific book from a gigantic library where the books had be thrown on the shelves in a random order.
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[16 Sep 2007|10:37pm] |
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4/20/08: Scratch all of the crap I wrote below. I have won. Bipolar has no more control over me.
I'm tired of all this crap. I need to see you. I'm tired of waking up in a sweat,
crying because I had another nightmare that you died. If I can just
see you for one day things will go back to normal. You know that too.
My jar of loose change is getting fuller and fuller. Soon I will have enough
for toll and I will be on my way. I'm still haunted by the idea that my parents
will try to stop me. How far am I really willing to take this? I'm not sure they
know how much pain I'm in and even how hard it is for you to just concentrate
on your day to day activities. I can deal with this for a while but it's going to far
this time. It drives me insane and I can't help but dwell on it. My pills don't seem
to work as well when I get like this. It's like my depression gets worse but my
medication doesn't work any harder. I'm afraid of what would happen if I stopped
taking them. It makes me worried that I'll forget one day and go into a panic attack again.
It's been good to distract myself lately. I've been hanging out with my friends.
They comfort me so much. Don't you miss summer? Don't you miss being with all of us?
What great memories we have.
I wish you were here right now.
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