A retired math teacher in British Columbia calculates she handed out over 1.6 million sheets of paper during her 30 year career, creating what she calls a 'pulp debt.' She is now naturalizing her property with native trees and shrubs to offset the environmental impact of her paper use. The article walks through her personal journey from heavy photocopier use to a more conscious approach after retirement. It connects individual carbon footprints to broader themes like paper production, mill closures, and Indigenous land repatriation in her community. For readers interested in personal carbon accounting and practical offsetting, this story offers a grounded example of one person's attempt to balance their professional environmental debt with hands-on restoration work.
