221,746 trees per month are felled
"In Wallkill, every month some 1,400 rolls of paper arrive at the printery, which uses some 80 to 100 tons of paper a day". During 2008 the printery received "requests from the 12,754 congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the continental United States and 1,369 in the Caribbean and Hawaii".
The Watchtower, 2009 7/1 pp. 15-16
Sources:
[1] 2009 Yearbook, pages 32-39
[2] The islands of the Caribbean likewise receive their supplies from Britain. - 2000 Yearbook, page 120
23,490 tons of paper annually represents 15.87% of the 6,829,455 publishers' worldwide (1,083,999 publishers ≈ 14,123 congregations), thus, 147,993 tons of paper for the worldwide annual production.
The Paper Calculator (www.environmentalpaper.org) shows the environmental impacts of different papers across their full lifecycle. Running the above calculations in the Paper Calculator yields an average of 221,746 trees per month, or 2,660,948 annuallly, that were felled for the production of their literature.
DATA SET | Paper Name: | Baseline Paper |
Paper : | Uncoated Groundwood (e.g. newsprint) | |
Quantity per year : | 147993 Tons per year |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Wood Use | 383,971 tons | Wood use measures the amount of wood required to produce a given amount of paper. The number of typical trees assumes a mix of hardwoods and softwoods 6-8" in diameter and 40' tall. Calculated collaboratively by Conservatree and Environmental Paper Network based on data from Tom Soder, Pulp & Paper Technology Program, University of Maine, as reported in Recycled Papers: The Essential Guide, by Claudia G. Thompson, The MIT Press, 1992. The Baseline Paper uses 383,971 tons, made from about 2,660,948 trees |
Net Energy | 4,980,629 million BTU’s | The Paper Calculator includes an energy credit for energy that is created by burning paper - or the methane that decomposing paper creates - at the end of its life. The Net Energy takes the total amount of energy required to make the paper over its life cycle, and subtracts this energy credit. If most of the energy used to make the paper is purchased, then the energy credit might make the Net Energy lower than the Purchased Energy. The average U.S. household uses 91 million BTUs of energy in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 4,980,629 million BTU's, the equivalent of about 54,732 homes/year |
Purchased Energy | 4,771,461 million BTU’s | A subset of total energy, purchased energy measures how much energy comes from purchased electricity and other fuels. The unit of measure is British Thermal Units (BTUs). The average U.S. household uses 91 million BTUs of energy in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 4,771,461 million BTU's, the equivalent of about 52,434 homes/year |
SO 2 | 5,188,656 pounds | Chemical compound produced when boilers burn fuel that contains sulfur. Of the fuels used in the paper industry, oil and coal generally contain the highest quantities of sulfur. Sulfur dioxide contributes to air pollution problems like acid rain and smog. The average 18-wheel truck emits 5.5 pounds of SO 2 in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 5,188,656 pounds, the equivalent of about 943,392 18-wheelers/year |
Greenhouse Gases | 1,055,798,946 pounds CO 2 equiv. | Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from burning fossil fuels and methane from paper decomposing in landfills, contribute to climate change by trapping energy from the sun in the earth's atmosphere. The unit of measure is CO 2 equivalents. The average car emits 11,013 pounds of CO 2 in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 1,055,798,946 pounds CO 2 equiv., the equivalent of about 95,868 cars/year |
NOx | 1,882,004 pounds | Nitrogen Oxides (NOx, which include NO and NO 2 ) are products of the combustion of fuels that contain nitrogen. NOx contribute to acid rain and can react with volatile organic compounds and sunlight in the lower atmosphere to form ozone, a key component of urban smog. The average 18-wheel truck emits 261 pounds of NOx in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 1,882,004 pounds, the equivalent of about 7,211 18-wheelers/year |
Particulates | 744,619 pounds | Particulates are small particles generated during combustion, and pose a range of health risks, including asthma and other respiratory problems, when inhaled. The average urban bus emits 11.2 pounds of particulate matter in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 744,619 pounds, the equivalent of about 66,484 buses/year |
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) | 308,298 pounds | Hazardous Air Pollutants are any of a group of 188 substances identified in the 1990 Clear Air Act amendments because of their toxicity. The Baseline Paper uses 308,298 pounds |
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) | 203,100 pounds | Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a broad class of organic gases, such as vapors from solvent and gasoline. VOCs react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, the major component of smog and a severe lung irritant. The Baseline Paper uses 203,100 pounds |
Total Reduced Sulfur (TRS) | 36,388 pounds | Total Reduced Sulfur compounds cause the odor associated with kraft pulp mills. Exposure to TRS emissions has been linked to symptoms including headaches, watery eyes, nasal problems, and breathing difficulties. The Baseline Paper uses 36,388 pounds |
Wastewater | 2,403,824,552 gallons | Wastewater measures the amount of process water that is treated and discharged to a mill's receiving waters. Wastewater volume indicates both the amount of fresh water needed in production and the potential impact of wastewater discharges on the receiving waters. 1 Olympic-sized swimming pool holds 660,430 gallons. The Baseline Paper uses 2,403,824,552 gallons, the equivalent of about 3,640 swimming pools |
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | 1,094,081 pounds | Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) measures the amount of oxygen that microorganisms consume to degrade the organic material in the wastewater. Discharging wastewater with high levels of BOD can result in oxygen depletion in the receiving waters, which can adversely affect fish and other organisms. Average home discharges 186 pounds of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 1,094,081 pounds, the equivalent of about 5,882 homes/year |
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) | 1,694,247 pounds | Total suspended solids (TSS) measure solid material suspended in mill effluent, which can adversely affect bottom-living organisms upon settling in receiving waters and can carry toxic heavy metals and organic compounds into the environment. The average home discharges 207 pounds of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 1,694,247 pounds, the equivalent of about 8,185 homes/year |
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) | 1,978,349 pounds | Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) measures the amount of oxidizable organic matter in the mill's effluent. Since wastewater treatment removes most of the organic material that would be degraded naturally in the receiving waters, the COD of the final effluent provides information about the quantity of more persistent substances discharged into the receiving water. The average home discharges 465 pounds of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in a year. The Baseline Paper uses 1,978,349 pounds, the equivalent of about 4,255 homes/year |
Solid Waste | 283,180,269 pounds | Solid Waste includes sludge and other wastes generated during pulp and paper manufacturing, and used paper disposed of in landfills and incinerators. 1 fully-loaded garbage truck weighs an average of 28,000 pounds (based on a rear-loader residential garbage truck). The Baseline Paper uses 283,180,269 pounds, the equivalent of about 10,114 garbage trucks |