I just returned from Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington where Change It alums Steve Furr, Augusta Johnson, and Chiffone Puckett joined with other IU students to declare their campus a “forest crime scene.” For over a year IU officials have failed to enforce their own policies to protect ancient forests despite pressure from student activists. The campus continues to buy paper products from tissue giant Kimberly-Clark (K-C), parent company to Kleenex and Scott brands, a company that sources paper fiber from the North American Boreal forest- one of our last remaining ancient forests.

“We hope that this will be the final wake-up call to the administration,” said Steve Furr, Greenpeace Student Network Area Coordinator and IU senior. “We have very few old-growth forests left, and IU should not be wiping them away with paper products when there is already a policy in place to ensure that IU is not a willing partner in ancient forest destruction.”

During the action, student activists tied yellow “Forest Crime Scene” tape around IU’s Sample Gates and held banners saying “IU: Protect Old Growth Forests, Cut Kimberly-Clark.” For pictures check out the link http://usaphoto.greenpeace.org/032608IU/.

Steve, Augusta, Chiffone, and other IU students are continuing the campaign to urge IU to join other campuses – including Harvard University, University of Miami, American University, Wesleyan University, and Rice University – that have pledged to not buy K-C products due to the company’s continuing forest destruction.

For the campus newspaper’s story click on: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=49944&comview=1

For more info on the student Kleercut campaign click on: http://members.greenpeace.org/students/tools/view/16.