Jessica Aldred put together a great list of A-Z tips for a Green Holiday, so this holiday doesn’t have to be time consuming, expensive, and cost the earth.
Here is a sample of the list…
A is for artificial trees These are not necessarily the greener tree – although they last for longer, they are made from plastic, not recyclable or from a renewable source and have probably been shipped great distances. There are also question marks over where they are made and the labor used. Real trees also help to remove carbon from the atmosphere while they are growing.
B is for batteries New gifts at Christmas often mean that households go through a lot of batteries. Batteries contain toxic chemicals, do not biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. As an alternative, we recommend using rechargeable batteries or trying the new AA size USB rechargeable batteries. By opening the cap and plugging into a USB connector, you can recharge them pretty much anywhere.
C is for Candles Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residue and are no good for your health or for the environment. Candles made from soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based wax are more eco-friendly because they biodegrade and are smoke-free.
Check out the rest of Jessica Aldred’s A-Z tips for a Green Holiday over at the guardian.co.uk.
Thanks Jessica!
Regarding A for Artificial Trees, non-Christmas versions were in the minds of engineers earlier this year who proposed building artificial trees to soak up the atmosphere’s CO2. This, of course, raises some objections. Just how many trees would be necessary to make an actual difference? What about the energy costs involved in manufacturing them? There is an article about this on SolarUK’s blog – http://solarukweblog.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/chicken-feed/