Protests target Victoria’s Secret, call for protection of boreal forest
Activists took to the streets in more than 100 North American cities yesterday to protest logging of the continent’s boreal forest, a vast expanse of ancient trees that stretches from Alaska to Canada’s Atlantic coast. Demonstrators charged corporations with sacrificing the world’s third-largest intact forest to make extra-soft toilet paper and lingerie catalogs (not that there’s any connection). In particular, luxury underthings retailer Victoria’s Secret came in for criticism for mailing about 395 million catalogs a year on paper from ancient trees. The company claims that it’s striving to keep its mailing lists accurate to avoid wasted catalogs, and that it prints all 24 million of its clearance sale catalogs on 100 percent recycled paper. Enviros aren’t mollified. “What a waste of our heritage,” said lawyer and activist Clayton Ruby. “The sale of underwear — that’s not a good enough reason for destroying boreal forests.”
