I see ads all the time for green business cards at sites like Green Printer. What sets them apart?

Their little squares for doing business are printed on 100% recycled paper using soy and veggie zero-VOC inks with chemical-free plate processing and scuff-resistant, non-toxic aqueous coating. Some of the newbies are not even squares at all, but 3×3 disks for “making a unique impression.”

But what kind of impression are we making when we swap paper at a time we’re eschewing the over-foresting of our natural landscapes to produce the pulp, and envisioning a paper-less lifestyle? Perhaps trading information this way isn’t in the cards.

As the senior editor of an environmental blog, it can be awkward to produce a paper card for a new contact, despite the greener alternatives of jotting down my data on a piece of scratch paper or asking Daryl Hannah and Brad Pitt to program my number into their iPhones. I’m down for it, but are they?

Business cards have traditionally been the preferred networking tool of the working world, long before social networking via Facebook and LinkedIn became available. These sites function well for all the uses cards provide: Applying for jobs, hiring for jobs, passing along a name, planning a lunch or golf date, even tossing your name into a hat for winning stuff.

The question remains: Have these habit-forming cards become obsolete in the electronic age? According to TechCrunch, they should die once and for all. It’s just a matter of improving the handset alternative.

Crunch contributor Jason Kincaid finds, “The cell phone market could easily put business cards out of their misery, but instead of conforming to a single standard for contact exchange, handset manufacturers offer proprietary solutions or none at all.”

Examples he cites include apps like Friendbook, an iPhone “handshake”  connector from Tapulous, and rmbrME (“remember me”), a service launched last spring that costs 50 cents every time you wanted to add a new contact. A poor response to the model has led the company’s founder Gabe Zichermann to offer a premium service in the future.

Still, an etiquette column in the Newbury Port News takes the opposing view, arguing traditional cards are not just pieces of paper, but an integral part of doing business that can never be replaced.

To support this claim, columnist Judy Bowman points to the Japanese example. In Japanese, the business card, or “makke,” literally translated means “my face,” and represents one’s life.

“The business card you receive from someone speaks volumes about them and the firm they represent,” Bowman says.

Bowman goes further to describe the elaborate dance of the Japanese business card exchange, apparently as dramatic as the tea ceremony: “Our Japanese friends suggest an almost ritualistic way to present and receive business cards. Present the printed side up with both hands, a thumb and forefinger carefully holding each top corner. Respectfully hand the card forward, almost with a bow-like gesture, as a show of respect. This is the most formal way to present a business card.”

The Japanese – who are among the world’s most enthusiastic users and makers of electronics – are clinging to swapping cards almost as a cultural meme, a meme that shows they value tradition at a time of tremendous advances in global communication. But that doesn’t convince me to have a set engraved any time soon. After all, the Japanese are also still slaughtering whales.

Images: Jeff McNeil, Green Printer, TechCrunch, Japan Print

Have you ever really thought about what chewing gum is made of? Maybe you don’t really want to know. Modern gum is mostly made up of petro-based polymers. Essentially, you’re chewing plastic. But the original chewing gum came from chicle, the latex of a tropical Central American tree. And the Consorcio Chicleros of south-eastern Mexico are taking chewing gum back to its original Mayan roots.

So gum-lovers, I’d like to present you with a better option: Chicza, an organic, biodegradable, agave-sweetened gum made completely from chicle tree latex, the old-fashioned way. The chicle latex is sustainably harvested right in the tropical forest. These trees can’t produce the latex in any other environment than their natural one, so the chicleros have great incentive to protect their trees and their livelihood.

And you, as the gum chewing consumer, can rest assured that you’re chewing a botanical product (and not the product of the petrol business) and helping these people protect their land from deforestation and cattle grazing. So chew up! And toss your gum in the compost when you’re done.

Imagine if the death rate in your neighborhood doubled. You’d notice.

Scientists are concerned by the ominous results of a 50-year study of forests in the Western United States that finds the tree death rate has doubled since 1991. But why? For once, loggers aren’t to blame. This isn’t industry. This isn’t like anything that’s happened before – not an isolated incident or something reasonably blamed on a unforeseen event. It’s widespread, it’s conclusive, and all signs point to global warming.

Many of the world’s important forests are threatened by climate change and deforestation. Forests are vital global carbon sinks, making their preservation all the more important in light of global warming trends. For example, the Boreal Forest of North America is so vast, it is considered the “lungs” of the planet.

The scientists, operating with the U.S. Geological Survey, monitored trees for generations, carefully counting them by hand. They found that the death rate of trees increased across species and was not related to other factors, such as normal forest growth patterns, fire suppression, or pollution. Pines do appear to be the most sensitive, however. Equally troubling is the fact that it appears these dying trees release more carbon than they absorb.

It’s another sign of widespread ecosystem collapse, say scientists. Other indicators include:

Mass animal deaths, most recently, falling pelicans, but several dolphin suicide cases as well.

Coral bleaching, which threatens the oceans globally.

Early spring arrival, especially in Europe and parts of Asia. This affects people as well as animals.

Spreading disease, such as malaria, in many impoverished areas of the world.

Mysterious honey bee disappearance, up to a third of bees in some places, affecting the food supply.

Carbon dioxide levels are at the highest they have been in over 650,000 years. One of the scientists in the study says, -The concern here is that these might be early warning signs of dieback.” Western forests have also been weakened by beetles that typically infest forest tracts in warmer climates.

Says marine physicist Tim Barnett, who studies beetles, “it is perfectly reasonable to assume that this problem is going to get worse, not better.”

Having spent most of my childhood in the Cascades of Washington State and the Siskiyous of Northern California, the thought of these magnificent forests dying is surreal.

What are some things we can do?

- Take overall lifestyle steps to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions. Travel less, downsize to a more efficient car, eat meat less often, perform a home energy audit, shop less, buy secondhand, green and/or refurbished jewelry, furniture and electronics, eat local food when you can, and purchase carbon credits when you do travel. You don’t have to give up your SUV or subsist on tofu, but even focusing on reducing consumption helps.

- Petition to protect forests in threatened zones, such as the Heritage forests in Oregon.

- Only buy wood products from sustainably harvested forests.

- Get involved with an environmental group you trust. Whether it’s the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation or National Wildlife Foundation, take a little time to learn about issues that are important to you, and consider volunteering your time to help.

- Let mainstream media know that you are concerned about such warning signs and want them to cover these issues. Here’s how to contact the big ones: CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Fox.

- Spread the word. If you live in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico or another western state, send this article to your state representatives and encourage your friends to do the same.

Images: diemer, utubelaughter, lizasreef, beachbumpirate, dvice, ahmad naeem khan