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New Rainforest Safe Book List Tells Parents How to Go Green for Summer Reading

WASHINGTON

Just in time for summer reading, Rainforest Action Network
(RAN) has released a list of 25 children's books that are
"rainforest-safe." All books are printed on post-consumer recycled, FSC
certified or recycled paper, allowing parents the assurance of knowing
that their childrens' books are not contributing to the loss of
endangered rainforests.

Despite the publishing industry's substantive progress on reducing
its environmental footprint over the past decade, a recent report by
RAN, Turning the Page on Rainforest Destruction: Children's Books and
the Future of Indonesia's Rainforests, documented clear links between
children's picture books printed overseas and rainforest destruction,
raising alarm among parents, publishers and authors concerned about
environmental issues. RAN's 25 'rainforest-safe' books list demonstrates
that the publishing industry can implement environmental commitments
and that rainforest-safe books are not only possible; they are already
being produced.

"With our rainforest-safe book list, parents and kids won't have to
choose between loving books and loving rainforests," said Lafcadio
Cortesi of RAN. "These books prove that there are workable alternatives
to printing on paper that destroys the world's last remaining
rainforests."

The list includes popular green titles such as:

The Earth Book by Todd Parr The Magic School Bus and the Climate
Challenge by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen SpongeBob to the Rescue! By
Alison Inches Bunny's Garden (Pat the Bunny) by Golden Books Nature
Discovery in My Backyard by Rebecca Mattano

RAN's recent Turning the Page on Rainforest Destruction report found
that a majority of the top ten U.S. children's publishers have released
at least one children's book that tested positive for paper fiber linked
to the destruction of Indonesia's rainforests, including some books
that describe the benefits of rainforest conservation.

"Books are a major way that we share environmental values with our
kids," continued Cortesi. "Increasingly kids books are being printed
overseas and on paper that is contributing to deforestation and climate
change. Does that really reflect the values we want books teach our
children?"

Worldwide, the degradation and destruction of tropical rainforests is
responsible for fifteen percent of all annual greenhouse emissions. The
carbon emissions resulting from Indonesia's rapid deforestation account
for up to five percent of global emissions: more than the combined
emissions from all the cars, planes, trucks, buses and trains in United
States. This huge carbon footprint from the destruction of forests and
peatlands has made Indonesia the third-largest global greenhouse gas
emitter, behind only the U.S. and China.

The full list of rainforest-safe books can be found at https://ran.org/content/rainforest-safe-summer-reading-list
and RAN's report can be found at www.ran.org/bookreport.
The rainforest-safe book list is not comprehensive and RAN intends to
keep adding "rainforest-safe" books to the list as a reference for
parents who want to support alternatives to printing books on rainforest
paper.

Accompanying photos and images can be downloaded free at: https://rainforestactionnetwork.smugmug.com/Rainforest-Free-Paper

Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices staff in Tokyo, Japan, and Edmonton, Canada, plus thousands of volunteer scientists, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens around the world. We believe that a sustainable world can be created in our lifetime and that aggressive action must be taken immediately to leave a safe and secure world for our children.