Working Magic for Ancient Forests

New Harry Potter won't endanger forests

Feature story - 27 August, 2003
The boy with the lightening bolt on his forehead is back. And this time, Harry's not only saving Muggles and Hogwarts from the evil powers of Voldemort, he's also working a little magic for the world's ancient and endangered forests.

Harry Potter: working magic to save ancient forests

The Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is printed on Ancient Forest Friendly paper (100% post consumer recycled, processed chlorine free paper). That's not only good news for Canada's ancient rainforests and the vast boreal forests that stretch across the north of Canada, it's also good for forests around the world and the species that depend on them for their survival.

"By printing Harry Potter on Ancient Forest Friendly paper, Raincoast Books is turning the page on ancient forest destruction and working a little magic of their own for the world's ancient and endangered forests. We look forward to seeing publishers in other countries follow the lead of their Canadian colleagues." said Nicole Rycroft, Campaigns Director of Markets Initiative.

Harry Potter is the biggest publishing phenomenon of our time and is distributed in more than 200 countries around the world. The Canadian edition, published by Raincoast Books, is the only version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to be printed on ancient forest friendly paper internationally.

Markets Initiative, a Canadian environmental organization, has worked with Raincoast Books and other Canadian publishers to eliminate the use of papers derived from ancient and endangered forests during the past 2.5 years. Similar work is taking place with book publishers in the US and 5 European countries. Thirty-five leading Canadian and thirty US publishers have formal commitments to phase out papers originating from ancient and endangered forests and millions of ancient forest friendly books have been printed in Canada during the past 18 months.

How much forest is Harry saving?

By printing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on ancient forest friendly paper, Raincoast Books is minimizing its impacts on the environment and helping safeguard biodiversity and the world's ancient and endangered forests.

Using 1,121,049 kilograms of 100% post-consumer recycled, processed chlorine free paper and fibre instead of virgin fibre means that Raincoast Books is making the following ecological savings :

  • 29,640 trees (a forest area equivalent to 95 times the size of a football stadium)
  • 47,007,044 litres of water (water to fill 31 Olympic sized swimming pools)
  • 633,557 kgs of solid waste (equivalent to 155 average female elephants)
  • 20,248 BTUs of electricity (195 years of electricity to power the average North American home)
  • 1,215,443 kilograms of greenhouse gases (3.9 million kilometers traveled by car with average fuel efficiency)
  • 8486.4 kgs of air emissions


For more information on the Ancient Forest Friendly Harry Potter or Who's Good Between the Covers in Canadian Literature visit www.marketsinitiative.org

What You Can Do

If you are planning to buy a copy of the latest Harry Potter, consider getting one that's good for the forests, by ordering a Canadian edition on line from www.amazon.ca or www.indigo.ca

Write a letter thanking J.K. Rowling and Raincoast Books for helping Harry use his magical powers to protect the world's forests, via

Raincoast Books, 9050 Shaughnessy St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6P 6E5

Become a Forest Guardian

Take action now to preserve ancient forests

About Markets Initiative

Markets Initiative is a coalition project of Friends of Clayoquot Sound, Greenpeace Canada and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter. Markets Initiative works to safeguard endangered forests globally by shifting market demand away from wood and paper products derived from the world's ancient and endangered forests. Markets Initiative has been working with the Canadian book publishing industry for the past 2.5 years.

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