Christmas Joy
Christmas JoyHow do I go about having a ‘greener’ Christmas to stop contributing to Global Warming?
Author: mike | Filed under: Uncategorized
Yahzmin (US) asked:
I want to celebrate, but would like to have as ‘green’ a Christmas as possible. Any unique suggestions?
- Tags: Christmas, Global Warming
Dr Jello
October 16th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Relax and have fun. One person just doesn’t make a difference.
Amanda B
October 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Try to eat the best you can this Christmas.
Also, maybe try buying a fake tree instead of a real one.
Maybe use recycled paper to wrap your presents also.
Buy gifts that can also help the environment (organic cotton clothes, Towels??)
Hopefully this will help!! :]
P.S. Thanks for helping to save our planet!!!
Robert H
October 21st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
no tree no lites
elyslund
October 24th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Darlin, I wish there was an easy answer to your question…unfortunately, there isn’t.
Any fake tree or any kind of decoration you buy has come from a manufacturing plant that emits gases into the air…and, mainly harmful ones.
But, when I was a little kid, my father and I would go into the back woods and cut branches from the cedar trees growing there, and decorate our house with those. We’d dig up, instead of cut, a little cedar tree and replant it in a big pot…then decorate it for a Christmas tree. Sounds like Charlie Brown, huh. But all of these cedar things also made our house smell GREAT! Then, after Christmas, we’d replant the little cedar tree back in the woods, and check on it to make sure it was thriving.
That’s the very best I can do for your excellent question. Sorry!
Elysabeth Faslund…Poemhunter.com
H-man
October 28th, 2008 at 4:32 am
I have to disagree with the Doctor, if all of us just did only a little it will make a difference.
Avoid unnecessary packaging when buying Christmas prezzies.
Use public service transport, to save vehicle traffic and costs.
If you are going away consider using a fuel efficient vehicle and not the great gas guzzlers.
What ever else you do, have a Happy Christmas and spend time with loved ones.
gallie
October 31st, 2008 at 7:21 am
Give the gift of charity. We spend so much on things that cost energy to make and transport and many are not appreciated enough to be worth the cost. Charity uses no energy, and is the best way to really spread the spirit.
If you do purchase gifts, buy American- the more locally, the better. Most of the stuff in stores is from China, and their environmental protection laws are practically non-existant. The rate of birth defects there is skyrocketing becuase of corporate pollution.
Or give gifts that encourage others to “be green” as well. Low energy light bulbs or reusable shopping bags would work.
CoopidStunt
November 1st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
You could get a living (potted) Christmas tree. We had one for years, and it grew as my daughter grew. We gave it away “free to good home” when we moved.
We use odd things for trees. This year we might use our coat rack (gotten off Freecycle) While in Hawaii, we used an artificial palm tree we scored off of Freecycle (I just gave that tree away on Freecycle for fear our new — klutzy — dog would knock it over) I like to be creative when it comes to what I decorate. A deep pot with dried branches that you can hang things on? Lights (or just about anything) strung and stuck on the wall in the shape of a tree could be cute.
See how far you can go without buying anything new. Check out thrift stores, go yard saling. I make new beaded jewelry using “recycled” beads, and I often give my work as gifts.
Use recycled (and/or recyclable) gift wrap. Re-use gift bags and use shreddings from work as “stuffing.”
If there was only one thing I would recommend you do this year it would be to join your local Freecycle group (check Yahoo groups). The goal of Freecycle is to prevent items from ending up in the landfill. Everything is given and received for free, so the spirit of giving lasts all year long — and Christmas in theory is celebrated year round.
🙂
sunman
November 2nd, 2008 at 6:41 am
Hop a freight train to Florida or Arizona their going there any way so no carbon foot print of yours their . Visit the soup kitchens no print also , and bask in the sun. An return trip same as you came. pick up some spending money picking fruit your there any way .
Onibaba
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
I use cloth to wrap gifts. I make my own bags with a drawstring. If you can’t make your own you can buy them online.
Michael R
November 4th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Global warming will not be stopped by your doing something special. Global warming has been with us for thousands of years. If you do not think so, what happened to the ICE AGE?
However, that being said, there is no doubt that being greener is a good cause. Anyone who says, ‘cleaner air and water is bad’, ought to have their heads examined. Get a real tree, sometimes called a burlap ball, and when you are done with it, plant it. That is my biggest suggestion. Another would be to not use wrapping paper. Buy the gifts bags and reuse them year after year.
Finally, a real solution would be to celebrate the season as He would have you celebrate, and that is not be giving and receiving gifts but in quite love for your family and friends, as well as for God.
I hope this helps.
Cookie On My Mind
November 5th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Hey there! 🙂 Here’s a list to help celebrate and help the earth at the same time!
1) Shop online – so you don’t have to drive to all the malls and stores, thus cutting back on air pollution
2) Get an artificial tree instead of a real tree – if everyone went artificial, they wouldn’t cut down any more trees – trees are important for oxygen and help ‘clean’ our air!
3) Use paper bags or plastic bags as ‘wrapping paper’ as a way to recycle them
4) Don’t leave your holiday lighting on all night – I mean, who’s going to see it at 3am anyway? Turn them off to save on electricity.
I’m sure there are plenty of more ways, that’s all I could think of at this late hour lol
Take care and happy holidays!
sbeamdej
November 8th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Celebrate it the way you want to. Buy a real tree and when the Holiday is over, burn the darn thing in a burn barrel. You have nothing to worry about anyway, there is no such thing as Global Warming
Cam1051Sec
November 8th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Almost all the answerers above me had really good ideas, & I’m afraid they said it all for me! You get a star.
yankidee_1
November 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
my suggestion is to have a joyous Christmas by doing things in moderation i.e. cut down on your energy usage, that excess packaging etc. No matter how much you do to prevent global warming you can’t let it control you and take away from your good day- by the way it’s good to hear your concerned about our environment
miahstarella
November 15th, 2008 at 12:31 am
reuse. recycle. renew…when ever possible.
If you own your home, and have the space to plant a tree, then by all means please re-pot the tree after the holiday…a real tree is recycled…a fake tree…you can keep it the closet for a few years…whatever you choose to purchase or decorate in celebration of the holidays, do it with the thought of goin green…
Try making your gifts this year, using recycled paper products/items.
always use your own shopping bags from home..and recycled boxes when shopping.
definitely cut the use of xmas lights…use candlelight when entertaining, etc.,
One person can make a difference…
Have a wonderful green holiday*
lin
November 18th, 2008 at 8:36 am
The color green is not the reason for the season it’s tradition! I’ll have to look up why the Christmas tree became our tradition. Unique suggestions? I look out my window at this time of year and see how beautiful the trees look w/o decorations on them, and I leave them alone, because I know after winter their leaves will be back and they will again give us joy.
rachel b
November 19th, 2008 at 5:40 am
Get a fake tree which will save money and the environment. Use old newspapers to wrap all your presents. Try to find (not sure if it’s possible yet) energy efficient christmas lights or try decorating your tree with just tinsel. Avoid the fake snow because it comes in aerosol cans. I think the best solution would be to give all your friends and family a baby tree to plant for a present.