Bob McDonnell Used Your Tax Dollars to Lure Company Accused of Destroying Tiger Habitat

The World Wildlife Fund accuses a Virginia company of destroying the rainforest habitat of tigers, elephants and other wildlife in Indonesia to turn it into toilet paper:

By some estimates, the world is losing 50 million acres of tropical rainforest a year -- an area double the size of Virginia. On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, much of the destruction has been traced to a Chinese Company called Asia Pulp and Paper or APP. The family that owns APP also owns and supplies Mercury Paper -- a company that moved to Virginia after [Gov. McDonnell] offered a $250,000 incentive to relocate from California. APP was recently singled out by Greenpeace, when laboratory analysis showed its paper towels, cardboard and toilet paper were made from rainforest trees. [...]

The company points proudly to a sanctuary it established for critically endangered tigers, but World Wildlife’s Jan Vertefeuille says APP’s taking down that rainforest too: "We found out, through satellite imagery, that APP was clearing part of its own tiger sanctuary. They had told the government that they were going to protect this area, and they were actually clear cutting it."

Instead of urging the company to clean up its act to make its Virginia operation sustainable in the long term, McDonnell has parroted the company's attacks on anyone who would dare accuse Mercury of wrongdoing. No wonder McDonnell spends so much time trying to regulate women's bodies - otherwise people might realize the only way he can create jobs is by shoveling tax dollars to companies accused of harming wildlife.

So what are the products you should make sure to avoid, and which stores are supporting WWF's efforts?

Products made with APP fiber, such as toilet paper, paper towels and tissue, are increasingly landing in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and hotels across the country under the Paseo and Livi brand names.

Eight large retailers – BI-LO, Brookshire Grocery Company, Delhaize Group (owner of Food Lion chain), Harris Teeter, Kmart, Kroger, SUPERVALU, and Weis Markets – have decided to stop carrying tissue products made with APP fiber during the last several months.

This controversy drags on because manufacturers are convinced Americans are so pampered that we will only wipe our asses with the finest, most pristine old-growth forest paper our planet has left to offer.

Doing the right thing here is really easy: Make sure any paper towels, toilet paper or napkins you buy are made from at least some recycled content, the higher the better. If the store doesn't carry any, ask to speak to the manager and let her know you're a loyal customer and they risk letting you down if they don't improve their selection.

I'm also sending an email to Harris Teeter, my grocery store, saying thanks for dropping APP products. Check out the WWF website to see what stores are still carrying APP.

UPDATE 2/5/2013: APP has agreed to adopt a new Forest Conservation Policy.

Harris Teeters Toward Local Foods

The Harris Teeter in Ballston has recently started highlighting "Fresh off the Farm" fruits & vegetables. Each item is identified with its local farm and the prices are no higher than usual:

So far, so good. But I noticed the blueberries also got a "from your regional neighbor" tag, which is supposed to be for produce shipped six hours or less. They're from "California Giant Berry Farms," which, call me cynical, but sounds suspiciously non-local. On top of that, the blueberries are marked "Product of Canada," so who knows how many passport stamps they've earned:

So while on the whole this is progress, as always, shop smart ... shop S-Mart.

Will the New Safeway Steal My Business from Harris Teeter?

The Green Miles just returned from Virginia's 5th Congressional district, where Rep. Tom Perriello wasn't able to swim against the GOP tide. But our efforts did help make it closer than anyone expected, with Tom losing by just 3 points. In the words of Tom's consolation email to supporters, "I can see last night as a victory for conviction and hard work for the idea that when you fight for the people, the people win."

Upon returning home, the first thing I had to do was ... buy the new NBA Jam for Wii since I spent hundreds of quarters on that game as a kid & needed something to take my mind off politics. But the SECOND thing I had to do was go grocery shopping since I hadn't done that in about a month.

Since I could acquire the coveted Jam at the Target on Route 50 in Falls Church & there's a newly-remodeled Safeway next door, I decided consolidate trips & skip the drive into Ballston to my usual Harris Teeter. My quick green review:

• Many of the Safeway store-brand organic line seem a bit cheaper than their HT counterparts
• Overall organic selection is more limited in scope & in quality than HT (Safeway seemed to have far fewer name-brand organics) 
• Very disappointing that Safeway's small checkout lanes made reusable bags awkward to use. What's the point of remodeling if you're not accommodating modern needs?
• Several items listed as on sale in the aisle didn't ring up at the correct price. Not an environmental thing, I know. But I treat saving money at the grocery store as a competition.

The bottom line: I'll hit Safeway for quick needs, but will stick with Harris Teeter for my main grocery shopping trips.

Oh, and the third thing I did? Sleep for 11 hours.

UPDATE 3/12/2011: Over at GreaterGreaterWashington.org, Steve Offutt points out the Safeway sidewalk's shortcomings.

Real Men of Genius: Mr. Expert Grocery Bag Packer

We salute you, Harris Teeter grocery store clerk. On Saturday, I passed over my single reusable bag and said, "If you need a second bag, paper please."

He looked back at me with a glint in his eye that said, "Oh, no. We won't be needing a second bag."

He packed the reusable bag perfectly, condensing an entire basket (including a half gallon of milk and three quarts of ice cream) into one bag. Sure, it weighed about 80 pounds and I could barely carry it home, but there was a paper bag to be saved! Job well done, Mr. Expert Grocery Bag Packer.

Bay-Friendly Dishwashing Detergent Hits The Teet

The Green Miles takes so many cell phone pictures at Harris Teeter, they must think I'm a Safeway spy or something.

But there's good news to report. The Teet is now stocking Palmolive Eco dishwashing detergent, a phosphate-free alternative. As Grist's Ask Umbra reports, most dishwashing detergents use phosphates, which contribute to algae blooms and dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay even though natural enzymes work just as well.

Virginia recently joined Maryland in banning phosphates from dishwasher detergent effective 2010. The legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly last year without a single opposing vote.

The Teet also recently added an extensive selection of Seventh Generation products, so there are natural alternatives available for all sorts of kitchen and bathroom cleaners.

Light Your Summer BBQ with Green Power

I was in Harris Teeter the other day and noticed this - a solar-powered tiki torch! Very cool idea. No need to worry about kerosene or batteries (both negatives for the environment) and different brands claim to last anywhere from 6-10 hours on a single charge.

The solar-powered tiki torches at Harris Teeter were selling for a ridiculous $100. Believe it or not, that was a mark down - they were originally listed at $150.

Fortunately, Amazon.com has several brands available, none for more than $30. Some even claim to be solar-powered tiki torches/bug zappers.

The customer reviews on Amazon.com seem to indicate that while the lighting is surprisingly good, the poles they come on are flimsy. Anyone ever used a solar-powered tiki torch?

Harris Teeter Foils My Snark Yet Again

I was all set to do a post railing against Harris Teeter for carrying a dizzying array of organic food without carrying a single organic option of one of The Green Miles' favorite foods -- ice cream.

Then I was shopping tonight and for the first time saw this:

Not only did they have four different varieties of organic ice cream, but it was very competitively priced -- a quart for $4.99.

I thought about getting some for a taste-test, but I'm actually willing to give it The Green Miles Seal of Approval without one. If I'm dropping $4 for a pint of Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs, I expect it to be excellent. But when it comes to the Big Three flavors (vanilla/chocolate/strawberry), I'm probably just looking for something to a la mode an apple pie. Volume does the trick just fine, and $5 for a quart compares well to Edys, store brands, etc.

That's the only organic ice cream available at my local Harris Teeter, but Breyers, Ben & Jerry's, and Stonyfield also make organics. There are also several smaller brands.

It's nice to know there are options since dairy is one of the best ways to go organic!