Make it an earth – Part 7
Bing Crosby dreamed of a white Christmas and Elvis sang of a blue Christmas, but what about a green Christmas. Yes, we can all do our part in helping to preserve our planet by going green and participating in an earth friendly holiday. Our faith, culture, heritage, family and friends are all celebrated during this time, so why not make a conscious effort to celebrate and contribute to the beauty and wonder of our great Mother Earth.
It may seem a little overwhelming if this is your first attempt at such an undertaking, but armed with some knowledge and a few pointers it’s a piece of cake. Keep in mind, you may not single handedly save the earth with your efforts, but every little bit helps. Each year you will get practice and expertise, until celebrating a green holiday is as routine as doing the laundry (which by the way should be washed with phosphate free detergent).
Thinking green starts before the big day. Your preparations and shopping can include an earth friendly approach. If the weather permits, enjoy a nice walk to the grocery store or shopping mall, rather than add to the abundance of pollution caused by car emissions. Public transportation is an earth friendly alternative, when the weather won’t cooperate. Better yet, online shopping allows you buy gifts while burning no fuel at all. Remember to carry your reusable shopping bags, to avoid being saddled down with all those environmentally unfriendly plastic bags.
The last few weeks leading up to the holidays result in a barrage of cards arriving in the mail, most of which aren’t recyclable. Sending ecards through the internet is an excellent alternative. For those who insist on tradition, there are cards made from recycled materials. Hand deliver as many cards as possible.
If adorning your house with festive lights choose LED, rather than the old large style. LED lights use about 90% less energy than the traditional lights. Put your lights on a timer to prevent forgetting to turn them off at bedtime, which wastes energy.
When selecting gifts keep the environment in mind. There are many companies that make their products from recycled materials. Avoid purchasing gifts that require batteries. They don’t break down in the landfills and create an environmental hazard. Opt for gifts with little or no plastic or cardboard packaging. Gift certificates are a great option, as there is no packaging and they don’t need to be wrapped. Making a donation to one’s favorite charity is the perfect gift for those who have everything.
Wrapping gifts creates mounds of paper waste, but there are ways to reduce such waste. Old comics and newspapers, scraps of fabric, maps and butcher paper are all great for wrapping gifts. Gift bags are good too, as most people save and reuse them. If tying ribbon around gifts, the need for tape is eliminated. Cut up old holiday cards to use as gift tags. When the gift giving is over save boxes, bows, ribbon and bags, to be used again.
Instead of chopping down and killing a tree, buy a potted tree which you can decorate, then plant outside after the holidays. An artificial tree is good, as it can be used year after year.
Celebrating a green holiday doesn’t require a great deal of effort, but can have a great effect on the environment. When the holidays are over, the only footprints we want left behind are those from Santa’s muddy boots, not those from harmful carbons and greenhouse gasses.
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