Dreaming of a “Green” Christmas?
Nature Conservancy Offers Tips for Eco-Friendly Holidays
ARLINGTON, VA — November 15, 2007 — As the song goes, it’s “the most wonderful time of the year.” But what most Americans don’t realize is that the holiday season is also one of the most challenging times of the year for the environment, generating wasted energy, added pollutants and millions of tons of extra trash.
Today, The Nature Conservancy is issuing tips for a greener holiday, with ideas for Thanksgiving through the December holidays to help save the planet — to say nothing of your wallet and your sanity.
“When you’re sitting around your Thanksgiving table next week, start a conversation about the food you’re eating. Or make a statement with the presents you buy this holiday season,” said M. Sanjayan, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy. “You don’t have to radically overhaul your lifestyle. Just pledge to do one thing differently this holiday season, whether it’s the gifts you buy, the way you wrap them, or the food you serve. One change multiplied by millions of families can have a positive impact on the world we leave to future generations.”
TIP #1 Think global, eat local, and get outside.
The pilgrims didn’t get their meal from the freezer case at the local supermarket. Why should you?
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Try a truly authentic Thanksgiving feast with fresh, local meats and produce. For a similar effect without hunting for your own turkey, shop at farmers’ markets for environmentally friendly fare that hasn’t been packaged and infused with preservatives for maximum shelf-life.
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Be creative. This Thanksgiving, Kurt Parkan, director of external affairs at The Nature Conservancy’s Alaska Field Office, plans to serve smoked wild sockeye salmon Caesar salad, along with smoked salmon ravioli with cream and fresh basil pesto sauce, topping it off with Alaska wild blueberry pie. Pumpkin pie who?
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Try not to purchase more than you need. Around a third of the food bought during the holidays ends up in the trash. If you do have leftovers, reheat them: you’ll use less energy than you would by cooking a new meal. And keep in mind that those Thanksgiving scraps are the perfect start for a compost bin.
And this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they’re considering touting the co-benefits of fighting climate change and obesity by walking more and driving less. You can start by making a nature hike part of your annual Thanksgiving celebration. Reconnect with the outside world, head to a Nature Conservancy preserve — and walk off your locally-made pie.
TIP #2 Give a gift that actually means something.
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Consider an “experience” gift: Gift certificates, tickets to an event, or an offer to help a friend clean out a closet don’t require any wrapping, and they definitely won’t end up in the garbage, unlike that dancing snowman novelty mug that, at the time, seemed so perfect for your wife.
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Buy something sustainable, organic, and environmentally friendly: From fair trade, bird-friendly coffee to organic flowers or local fruit, there’s something for everyone. Make a statement with the choice and brand.
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Give the gift of the great outdoors. Buy someone a pass to state or national parks to help them reconnect to the world around them.
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Give a gift of nature from The Nature Conservancy. You can Adopt an Acre® to help save the rainforest in Costa Rica, Rescue the Reef® to protect coral reefs around the world and more! Check out The Nature Conservancy’s gift guide to find meaningful gifts perfect for everyone on your list.
TIP #3 Avoid automobiles, and maybe planes and trains too
The additional traffic on the roads and in the air can be a nightmare for not just travelers, but for the climate as well. Figure out your carbon footprint or that of someone you love, and make adjustments where you can.
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Plan your holiday errands in advance to minimize your time behind the wheel, and use public transportation whenever possible.
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Offset: If you’re daring enough to brave holiday air travel, consider purchasing carbon offsets along with your ticket, helping to minimize the negative environmental effects of flying.
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Avoid travel if you can: Consider having a local celebration with nearby family, friends, and neighbors.
TIP #4 To tree or not to tree?
Many people wonder what’s better (or worse) for the environment: real or fake trees. The truth is that both have their downsides: fake trees can be loaded with chemicals, shipped from afar and will “live” in landfills for many holidays to come. Real trees can be grown with pesticides on tree farms before they were chopped down and driven across the country to get to your community.
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Plant your tree: Though it’s hardly the same as chopping down the perfect pine, a potted or balled tree (be sure the roots are still attached) can be planted post-holiday, reducing your celebration’s carbon footprint. Or make a tradition of decorating one that lives in your backyard!
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When in doubt, shop local — and recycle: If fresh-cut is more your style, try to get it from a local tree farm. Many cities offer tree-recycling programs, turning this winter’s Christmas tree into next spring’s garden-boosting mulch.
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Go natural: Cinnamon sticks, pine cones, and the classic popcorn or cranberry garland are also eco-friendly. Get your kids to help decorate. It’s more personal, cheaper, and less wasteful than buying all those trimmings at the store.
TIP #5 Deck the halls with LED
LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, rely on the same technology that illuminates calculators and watches to emit that holiday glow. Though they cost a bit more than traditional holiday lights, LED lights last much longer and consume a fraction of the energy, which leads to greater savings for years to come.
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The US Department of Energy reports that if all conventional incandescent Christmas lights in the country were replaced with LED lights this season, annual energy savings would total two billion kilowatt-hours — enough energy to power nearly 200,000 homes for an entire year.
TIP #6 Wrapping it up
Ever wonder how many trees died for the mountains of wrapping paper left after the Christmas morning frenzy? Wrapping paper costs you money and generates tons of extra trash. You can recycle the paper, or get even more creative:
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Local young “artists”: All that artwork that your kids bring home can be put to excellent use during the holidays. Use it to wrap presents, or use brown paper bags that your kids can help decorate.
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Holiday cards as gift tags: Instead of buying gift tags, use last year’s holiday cards. Cut them out in interesting shapes and sizes, and write your “to” and “from” on the flip side.
For more info on living green and saving the planet this holiday season, go to www.nature.org.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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