The winter holidays are a festive time filled with warmth, light, and generous giving. But sometimes the festivity and generosity stray toward excess and we yearn for a simpler, greener holiday season. Here are a few ideas for saving energy and money as you start your holiday planning.
Decorating your home for the holidays, both inside and out, can be a fun family activity. Challenge your family to green up your holiday decorations this year. Make your own wreaths and garlands by gathering fir, cedar and holly branches that fall from the trees on a windy day. Attach the greenery to a ribbon to make a garland or to a wire hanger using florists’ wire available at craft or garden stores. Be sure to pick up some red holly berries to accent your wreath. Old-fashioned popcorn and cranberry strings made with a needle and thread provide a nice white and red contrast to the evergreen foliage. Toss them out in the yard after the holidays to feed the birds. Include live plants in your interior holiday decorations – they filter the air of various pollutants and add oxygen to the indoor air. This is an especially important function in the winter when our homes are closed up, and less fresh air is available.
Adding light to the winter darkness is a universal part of holiday decorations. If you need to buy new strings of electric holiday lights, choose LED mini lights, now widely available and in a variety of colors and styles. LEDs use a fraction of the electricity compared to incandescent mini lights, resulting in great savings on your December electric bill. They are also safer because they don’t get hot and the low wattage of individual strands allows many strands to be strung together end-to-end and plugged into a single outlet.
If you like to burn candles, choose non-toxic soy or beeswax candles scented with essential oils. The emissions released through burning conventional petroleum-based, artificially-scented paraffin candles contain soot and other chemicals that degrade indoor air quality. Soy candles burn clean and cool, and are safer to have around children and pets.
When it comes to green giving for the holidays, the buzz phrase is “give more experiences, less stuff.” When you use this simple rule as a guide, it can be fun and easy to think creatively and still fit any budget. Tickets to the movies, live theater or a concert; a coupon or gift card for a new or favorite restaurant; a coupon for a massage or beginning dance lessons – all can be tailored to fit the budget of the giver and lifestyle of the receiver. Kids can create gift certificates for “helpful” gifts like washing the car, giving a foot massage, or extra chores for a week. Sadly, King County has cut its waste-free holidays program due to budgetary concerns, but many ideas can still be found on their Web site, http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/ecoconsumer/green-holidays.asp.
If you must give stuff, the best green gifts are high-quality, well-made products that will last. Choosing locally-made products also promotes environmentally-conscious gift giving. Why not choose to give high-quality, useful items that will help your friends and relatives reduce their clutter and go green themselves? Some ideas are rechargeable batteries with a charger, candles made from soy oil, stainless steel water bottles, colorful reusable tote bags, and an energy-conserving power strip for a home computer station or entertainment center. Alternatively, consumable gifts such as food, wine and spirits, whether homemade treats or rare vintages, are always appreciated.
For that high-flying trendsetter on your list who already has everything, consider giving them a gift that will lower their carbon footprint: carbon offset certificates. A carbon offset is a financial instrument purchased voluntarily to mitigate unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions resulting from car and air travel, electricity use, and other sources. Money generated through the purchase of carbon offsets is invested in companies that are developing projects to reduce greenhouse gases above and beyond the course of regular business. Examples of projects funded by carbon offset purchases include development of wind farms, landfill gas-to-energy projects, reforestation efforts, and methane capture from livestock. Offsets are unregulated and difficult to verify so be sure to buy from an established, reputable company. Three established companies are Carbon Fund (a non-profit), Terrapass, and BeGreen. One carbon offset will mitigate the equivalent of one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions. You can purchase offsets by the metric ton or in predetermined amounts to offset emissions from specific activities, such as a single airplane trip, one year’s worth of driving, or the emissions from heating your home for a year. At the 2007 Oscars, the Academy gave each presenter and performer a gift of offsets for one year’s worth of carbon neutrality!
The rush of holiday activities from Thanksgiving through New Year’s can be busy and overwhelming. If you are looking to simplify your holiday, be sure to include your activity schedule in your downsizing. Do you love going over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house for a big family dinner, but end up exhausted at the end of the day? This year, consider taking grandma out to an early supper at a family restaurant so you can skip the effort of meal preparation and cleanup. If you throw an elaborate dinner party for friends or family, try a holiday potluck buffet rather than preparing a big sit down affair that leaves you wiped out. And be sure to plan in some down time, like a quiet evening in front of the fire listening to beautiful holiday music.
Contact Judi Radloff at judi.eastside@greenirene.com, or visit Green Irene for more information.
