How To Green Your Holidays
- November 4, 2009
- 1,173 Views
from
Carlo Scialla
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- Actor Bob Scialla
- Actor Joan Scialla
- Actor Chris Hartmann
You can be festive and eco-friendly at the same time, if you follow these suggestions.
You Will Need
- Heritage meat
- Heirloom fruits and vegetables
- Locally produced foods
- Cloth napkins
- Energy-efficient lighting
- Consumable gifts
Step 1: Serve heritage meat
At holiday dinners, serve heritage meat – meat from animals raised on sustainable or organic farms that comes from less common breeds. Heritage turkeys, pigs, and cows are just a few of the choices available. Most are antibiotic- and hormone-free, plus they’re more flavorful.
Step 2: Prepare heirloom crops
Use heirloom fruits and vegetables in your side dishes. It will help preserve varieties not mass-produced by industrial farms.
Visit eatwellguide.org to find farms and markets near you that sell heritage and heirloom foods.
Step 3: Buy local
Buy foods and beverages that have been produced locally.
Step 4: Eliminate paper products
Eliminate as many paper products as you can: Use cloth napkins; mop up spills with dishcloths; wrap gifts in old newspapers or magazine pages; and send e-cards or recycle last year’s holiday cards into postcards.
Step 5: Save energy
Save energy by using LED lights on your holiday displays. If you’re giving a battery-powered gift, include a rechargeable battery and charger.
Step 6: Green your gifts
Green your gift-giving: Give consumables, like food or movie tickets, or a coupon for a personal service; make a charitable donation in your recipient’s name; spruce up a thrift-shop find; or give something that helps the environment, like a grocery tote bag.
Buy your gifts locally to spare the environment the emissions used in shipping.
Step 7: Cut down on gifts
Cut down on gifts altogether by agreeing to give only to the children in the family; organizing a Secret Santa, where everyone picks just one person to give a gift to; or suggesting a group outing in lieu of exchanging presents.
According to one environmentalist, if every American family saved and reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of trimming saved could tie a bow around the planet.
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Comments (3)
Great suggestions, but you forgot something important. Don't serve meat at all! Or at least only make a very small amount and include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
Even though organic meats are better than other meat, it is still meat. Factory farms are the largest contributor to global warming, so have a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I am! You may end up remembering some great recipes that haven't been made in years to take its place.
over 2 years ago by Christy2000
Yeah why would you serve meat when ur still KILLING animals!
over 2 years ago by Dragon591
Really useful stuff! Heirloom Brussels sprouts, anyone?
over 2 years ago by BCipolla
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