Recent News from our friends at the Natural Resource Defense Council (The NRDC) say that Americans’ addiction to two-ply, super soft toilet paper is causing greater harm to our environment than our gas guzzling cars. No shit.

How is that so?
In order to produce all that perfectly plush paper, companies must harvest tons of virgin trees, which the reaping of means less oxygen for the atmosphere to offset or all the carbon that seems to be frying us here on the surface.

So our asses are in trouble.

The US is the country that consumes the most forests specifically to fulfill the demand of Charmen Assficiandos far and wide. If you travel abroad, you may find discomfort in the thin one-ply offered up pretty much everywhere else. But that’s because most other countries are more careful about their resourceful trees and/or use recycled and post-consumer paper in the manufacturing of toilet tissue. Click here to learn what post-consumer means.

I remember visiting India and being astounded to find there wasn’t any paper. Talk about saving trees and not clogging the septic! Instead, there was a water hose next to the toilet and it was recommend you use your hand (which is why you always shake hands and eat meals with your right (and only your right).)

So I’m writing this today to invite you to buy only recycled or large percentage post consumer paper for your household, school or office. If you aren’t the one buying it, then encourage your janitorial staff to consider it. The paper isn’t nearly as soft, but it’s just as durable. Click here for the Tissue Shopper’s Guide provided by the NRDC.


It was while camping in Costa Rica last week that I realized I needed to share this with you. When it came to the limited supply of tissue brought to the jungle, one has to be selective on how and when to use. My friend was amazed at how little paper was actually required for the job. And it has nothing to do with my raw diet, because quite honestly, I’ve been swimming in deeper waters lately, introducing my stomach to rich and indulgently devilish foods. (How dare I!)

Toilet Tissue Tips:
- Start small. Challenge yourself to use only 8 squares in your session. We’ve all been in that place where it’s close to the cardboard roll and you have to be MacGuyver to make a clean get-away. This will force you to get creative while taking good care of each square.

- Use both sides. I mean that. I bet some people are afraid to look at or get close to their own skid-marks. But I say it’s better to know how your body’s handling the business of your health. Fold the paper again and again using a clean angle from the very same square. There’s a lot of real estate wasted on each sheet when you only wipe once.

- Should you find the paper too thin and become the victim of too many breakthroughs, try using a stronger material as a backing. This worked when I was camping. The paper wasn’t holding up in the dampness of camp, so I used a leaf to give the paper more strength from behind. Plus the leaf was textured, which handled the job with far more efficiency than just the paper by itself.

Forgive me for being anal about this. I just thought I’d share the news and suggest an eco-friendly solution to one of nature’s biggest pains in the ass.

For more helpful blogs like this one, intended to enhance your life and the lives of others around you, check out SuperForest.Org. It’s my personal favorite.

Pura Vida!
-Jason