With Climate Change Conference in Full Swing, Are Black Trees the Way to Greener Christmas

The Climate Change Conference opened Monday and I got up thinking of how we could all contribute to reducing waste and pollution and more specifically in these last few weeks of the year peppered with holidays.

What with all the trees that have to be recycled, food thrown away, piles of boxes, not to mention wrapping paper, trips to the mall and power for the outdoors decorations.

In search of wisdom, I went all the way back to 2004, an eternity in internet terms, with Green Christmas, Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday (National Geographic) by Cameron Walker.

Let me just quote the first paragraph:

"Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging, according to Robert Lilienfeld. Lilienfield is co-author of the book Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.

So why not recycle holiday gift wrap? Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet."

His suggestion is we can start by picking gifts that do not require wrapping like sports or cultural events tickets where all that's required is an envelope.

On the subject of Christmas trees, a fake one can make sense as long as it is put to use a number of times.

In that category the Telegraph UK reported on December 4 that Black Christmas trees outsell green ones amongst the artificial offerings at Tesco.

Was wondering for a minute if the story was a bad joke.

The Telegraph notes:

"Tesco said its best selling artificial tree was its black variety, with it outselling the green version by 10 per cent" and uncommon choices include "white trees and upside down trees have all proved popular, while a this year B&Q is selling a tree with its back half sliced off, so people with small sitting rooms can enjoy a tall tree without it taking up too much space."

On the other hand, I can't give any green credentials to Tesco 6ft Inflatable Snowman above...

Making travel plans for the holidays, take the train if you can, the man in Seat61 offers Holidays without Flying in Europe and Northern Africa.

Greening the Holidays (maybe, possibly, let's try) for Green Day # 105

Previously: Can't Pedal, Become a Planet Savior with Peugeot 'Eco -Citizen' Electric Scooter