1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"Flushing Forests: The pursuit of hygienic elimination is eliminating a lot of forest" by Noelle Robbins.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
World Watch Magazine, Cover Story, May/June 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
My article addresses an urgent, yet often overlooked global public and environmental health issue that impacts millions around the world on a daily basis — the production and use of toilet paper: from forest to flush. The United Nations declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation, estimating that 42,000 people die every week in part from diseases related to the absence of adequate sanitation. Sadly, about 1.5 million children die from diarrhea each year, before reaching the age of five, and illness triggered by poor sanitation contributes to the loss of at least 500 million school days, annually, around the world. There are organizations that correlate the use of toilet paper with access to improved sanitation in developing countries. The consumption of toilet paper – whether manufactured from virgin pulp or recycled paper content – will be a continuing global need as population growth adds to the more than 2 billion world citizens currently estimated to be lacking access to sanitation The environmental and community health impacts inherent in harvesting wood – either from sustainably managed forests or plantations — for a single use personal item, must continue to be explored and documented. Education of consumers; improvements in quality, pricing, and marketing of recycled products; and willingness to consider toilet paper alternatives, such as water, for cleansing must be pursued to meet the sanitation needs of a growing global population. One significant finding illustrates the link between increasing global consumption of toilet paper from virgin pulp sources and the increase in tree plantation cultivation and degradation of local environments.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
My work utilized extensive internet resources ranging from toilet paper manufacturers' websites, to global public health organizations focused on efforts to improve access to sanitation in developing countries. My internet research also included market research reports on global toilet paper sales and consumption; lumber industry reports; environmental non-profit investigations of logging practices in old-growth forests; and studies on the impacts of tree plantations on local community health and well-being. My research involved, as well, alternatives to virgin pulp toilet paper, recycled toilet paper production, and use of water for personal cleansing. No FOI or public records act requests were required.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I conducted a wide range of interviews, primarily by phone, of sources around the globe including Rose George, author The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste; Trevor Mulaudzi, The Clean Shop — a public toilet entrepreneur in Africa; Chris Lang, international expert on tree plantations; the CEO of Tjebok Health Care — Tjebbi Portable Personal Washing Systems; the founder of the World Toilet Association; and key representatives of major toilet paper manufacturers and recycled product companies.
6. Results (if any).
In addition to being referenced or posted in its entirety on a variety of national and international websites, this article was included in U.S. Embassy InfoAlert postings to numerous diplomatic missions.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
To conduct an in-depth investigative journalism report, be prepared to allow adequate time to pursue a wide range of issues related to the main topic. You never know when an obscure fact, person, or organization may provide a vital link to crucial information. Be flexible in regard to interviews — willing to use both phone and email inquiries; and willing to adjust to different time zones to reach sources. Track and record all sources, including internet resources, regardless of whether specific research findings are included in the final story. Look at all sides of the issue and be ready to probe without hesitation, to secured more detailed information. Maintain an impeccable filing system for each story.