This is the sixth post in the continuing series about Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and how it involves children in its campaigns against companies. To have a look at the previous five articles in the series, just click here.

Today’s post is a short one.

Recently RAN released a report regarding their assertion of how children’s book publishers use paper that is linked to the destruction of the rainforest. Well, as are many of RAN’s reports arguable, so is this one. But I am not, today, commenting on the validity of the information within their report or on the integrity of their research processes. My post today is made simply to draw your attention to RAN’s strategic choice of the continued employment of children into their anti-corporate campaigns.

Why would RAN choose children’s books about which to write such a report? Why not, say pulp fiction books? Or how about romance novels? Or mysteries? Or graphic novels? Or even porno magazines? Why not? Because those other genres don’t carry the presumed innocence that children’s books carry, the very innocence that is attached to children themselves. There isn’t as much shock involved in stating that, say for example, mystery novels use paper that is contributing to deforestation of the rainforest. No. Focusing on the children’s genre attracts a lot more media attention than would focusing on most other genres. And residing within that attention is the shock that RAN wishes to strategically leverage for their purposes.

Truly shocking only if their report is correct. But is it? Or are they creating shock in kiddy paper? You may take a look here at their report and then decide for yourself. And after reading that report, you might want to regard it within the context of the findings that I have made regarding how RAN uses children in its private political campaigns against companies.