We dream of a
white holiday season here in the upper Midwest.
We hope for snow covered yards, icicles hanging from the eaves, and strands
of lights decorating our neighborhood. Santa’s chair is set up at our local
mall and my children have been thumbing through catalogs to prepare their wish
list letter to Mr. Claus. Grocery store
shelves are lined with opportunities to support the local food bank, and other
stores ask for different donations to support a charitable cause. At one store I was asked to buy a toy for a
military family in need. It’s safe to
say the holiday season is fast approaching.
It’s that time of
year again when the air gets a little colder and the days become shorter, but
our hearts grow warmer and more generous.
People can adopt a family in the community and deliver Christmas. We help each other shovel our sidewalks and
drive after the fresh snowfall. With all
the generosity and giving back we give to others and our society, it’s time to
add the Earth to our list. Even if there
are not specific gifts we can wrap up and place under a tree with Mother
Nature’s name on them, there are simple things we can go the will make our
holiday traditions less taxing on the earth.
This paper will give ideas you can implement into your holiday season.
When
you are out shopping this holiday season consider giving responsibly. When buy household applicances or electronic
items look for one with the ENERGY STAR rating and The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has a list of ideas. The EPA reports, “The typical household spend
more the $2,200 a year on energy bills…over a lifetime of ENERGY STAR products,
a household can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 120,000lbs and same more
than $10,000 in energy costs” (energystar.gov) .
So if a television, DVD player, stereo or other electronic items are on
your list, look for the ENERGY STAR label to point you to the most efficient
product models. Also keep in mind when
purchasing electronics or toys that require batteries, consider going the
rechargeable route. Rechargeable
batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away and
can save money in the long run, especially if you add the battery charger as
well.
If
these gifts surpass your budget, there are other gifts that can keep you on
track to being green this holiday shopping season. There are suggestions all over the internet
but The Nature Conservancy ask its Facebook followers for tips. “Instead of
giving a gift of a material item- provide a service for your friends/fam/loved
ones like cooking dinner. Have a holiday ‘Green’ party where everything is recyclable,
burn candles instead of lights, etc. – Lalanya B.” (Ganderson) .
Homemade gifts are a great way to show off your talents and abilities while
remaining conscious to the environment.
Some example include making jams or wines from fruits and vegetables
from your garden, making different holiday treats such as; fudge, peanut
brittle, or cookies. If you want to take
your talents out of the kitchen you could learn to knit scarves and hats or
paint some ornaments. Other holiday gift
ideas could include a potted plant or a donation to a favorite charity in the
name of your honoree.
One
of my favorite ideas is to purchase tickets to a local event or theater. The purchase increases local revenue. An evening out with friends or family while
supporting your local economy seems like a perfect gift idea. Not to mention gift wrapping tickets can have
less of an environmental effect.
When
giving your gift this season, here are some simple tips you can do to make your
gift ‘green’ friendly. Try using a gift
bag. Gift bags can be reused. Even the
tissue paper can be recycled for the next gift. Have that newspaper collecting
in piles? Newspaper, particularly the
comic section can be used as gift wrap, especially for those gifts to children. One idea I especially thought was appealing
to the eye, was using scarp pieces of fabric to wrap up your holiday gift.
Now that we have our gifts and
they are wrapped with green friendly material, we need a tree to place it under.
Your Christmas tree can be one way to help give back to our planet this holiday
season. According the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, “about 33 million trees are sold in the U.S. every year” (epa.gov) .
Compared to artificial trees, real
Christmas trees are a renewable resource.
Treecycle Programs use recycled trees for mulch, erosion protection,
habitat creation and shoreline stabilization.
The possibilities don’t end there, so check with your local community to
find new ways to use treecycling for private projects. If you are not
interested in trudging through the snow covered fields to find that perfect
real tree, consider buying a potted plant or tree. Potted trees can be planted outside when the
holiday season is over.
Decorating the
tree or your house for the season can increase your energy toll on the
environment. Once upon a time Christmas
decorations were homemade and was a great opportunity to spend quality time
with your family and friends. This
holiday season try decorating your home or tree with a traditional twist. Marye comments on The Nature Conservancy
site, “we dehydrate various fruits like apples, oranges, and pears in our oven.
We hang them on our tree with raffia along with popcorn and cranberries. After
Christmas we hang all of it on the trees outside for the birds. The kids love
it and the house smells so good!” (Parker) .
Holiday lights
strung on houses can be beautiful but problematic when trying to conserve energy. A few ideas that don’t eliminate your
lighting decorations, upgrade to LED lights and keep them unplugged and unlit
during the day light hours. WPTZ News Channel 5 said, “LED bulbs use up to 90
percent less energy than regular bulbs, and they last up to 100 times as long.” The News station also recommended, “If you
still have traditional light strings, keep in mind that blinking lights use
less energy than a steady glow” (WPTZ News Channel5) .
With the lights
twinkling and the air filled with Christmas aroma, it’s time for that Holiday
party. Sarah Hauck gives some great tips
when it comes to keeping your party green this holiday season. Tips like using
the internet for your invite instead of paper, make homemade decorations like
popcorn and cranberry strung garland or homemade wreaths from old books and
newspapers. She suggests shopping local
or going organic with your food and beverage selections. An label recycling and trash bins clearly to
avoid confusion from your guests.
The Holidays are a
time of generosity and great family fun.
Holiday traditions bring people together and have been passed down
throughout generations. It is important
that we do all we can in ensure our planet will be here for our future
generations to carry on our Holiday Traditions.
Make it a tradition now to give responsibly, save energy, reduce waste
and shop locally. Most important, make
it part of your tradition to be kind to our earth. Have a safe and happy GREEN Holiday Season.
By: Tara Smith
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