http://www.risi.com/blogsThe leading information provider for the global forest products industryen-usRISI2012-05-17T00:39:58-04:00http://www.risi.com/blogs/What-exactly-is-environmentally-preferable-paper.html?source=rss To understand why selecting environmentally preferable paper is so challenging for publishers and other print buyers, consider these three recent news items: What exactly is environmentally preferable paper?Dead Tree Edition2012-05-14T00:00:00-04:00http://www.risi.com/blogs/Chinas-new-five-year-plan-for-the-pulp-and-paper-industry.html?source=rss China's long-awaited, 12th Five-Year Plan for the pulp and paper industry was released on December, 30, 2011. The latest five-year development plan directing the pulp and paper industry through 2015 targets balanced growth of total paper and board consumption and production (at an annual growth rate of 4.6% for each of them). The final version of this plan is largely in line with market expectations, with a lower growth target and an emphasis on demand and supply rebalancing as well as industry optimization. Different development plans have also been tailor-made for different regions. For instance, the plan for the southern provinces should encourage them to further enhance their growth in the board sector. China's new five-year plan for the pulp and paper industryHan Yao, Packaging Economist, RISI2012-05-07T00:00:00-04:00http://www.risi.com/blogs/What-Angry-Birds-can-teach-publishers-about-print.html?source=rssThe creator of Angry Birds has been a book publisher for less than five months but already grasps a truth that eludes so many long-time publishers.What Angry Birds can teach publishers about printDead Tree Edition2012-04-30T00:00:00-04:00http://www.risi.com/blogs/Bye-bye-biomass-Cheap-natural-gas-displaces-in-woods-fuels-at-US-pulp-mills.html?source=rssA mild winter in the Eastern USA plus advances in low-cost drilling fattened natural gas supplies and dragged prices to a 10-year low in early April. In fact, prices began falling last summer. Concurrent with that decline in prices, many US pulp and paper mills began switching to higher gas consumption, displacing substantial volumes of biomass. In-woods fiber (logging debris), a relatively new source of fuel, appears to be taking the biggest volume loss initially. Meanwhile, traditional sawmill "hog fuels" (leftovers like bark, sawdust and scraps) face jeopardy, as solid wood companies must dispose of the waste somewhere. Bye-bye biomass? Cheap natural gas displaces in-woods fuels at US pulp millsChris Lyddan, Editor, International Woodfiber Report, RISI2012-04-23T00:00:00-04:00