I’m dreaming of a green Christmas!

I’m always dreaming of a white Christmas, but what about a green Christmas? Here are a few ideas for making your Christmas celebrations a little more eco-friendly!

• The wrapping! Making Christmas gifts festive and fun to unwrap is part of the fun of giving the gifts. But then again, we know that wrapping paper accounts for millions of tons of trash every Christmas. None of us wants to be a Grinch, so how can we green up the wrappings?

  

  Try a reusable gift bag instead of wrapping paper

• Why not try recycled paper? And follow your mom and grandma’s lead – reuse that wrapping paper!
• Use tissue paper; (I use the tissue paper that’s stuck into dry cleaned clothes), fabric, or even the comics.
• Reuse gift bags; (I have some bags that have been through at least 5 seasons). 
• The tree! OK, it’s the age-old debate – should we use a fresh tree? Artificial? Tree in a pot to be planted later? A few thoughts and then make your own decision: 
  
• Artificial trees –most are made of non-recyclable, non-biodegradable metal and PVC. When thrown away, they sit in the landfill for many generations to come. Since my family keeps their artificial trees for decades (my mother has had her artificial tree for nearly 50 years), I’m not losing sleep over this. A more troublesome issue with artificial trees is most are produced overseas and shipped to the U.S.; think fossil fuels and pollution in production and shipping. 
• Real trees – Most experts agree that this is the more eco-friendly option. Over 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year, and 93% of those trees are recycled into mulch (Earth911). Additionally, Earth911 reports that a single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 in its lifetime! The cons? Since Christmas trees are an agricultural product, we can expect application of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides, unless they’re grown organically. Additionally, if you don’t live in an area where conifers grow naturally, add the costs of tree transport into your eco-footprint calculation. If you do get a real tree, be sure to say NO to the plastic mesh wrapping!
• Real LIVE trees – the most eco-friendly option. Buy a live, potted tree, which you can keep in your house for about 1- 1 ½ weeks and then plant outdoors after the holidays.
• The cards! I come from a proud line of Christmas card senders and Christmas letter writers. So how can we green up this annual tradition?
• Send cards and letters online. Friend and family can read about your adventures in the past year, and then save, print, or delete!
• Try one of the eco-friendly card companies, using soy inks and recycled paper. One of my favorites is Minted! 

  

  If physical cards are a must, try eco-friendly version!

• Buy and send cards that support a green organization, such as the cards made by the National Wildlife Federation or World Wildlife Fund.
• The gifts! There are actually fun green gifts that don’t lead to a forced smile and insincere “thank you!” Check these out:
• For the animal lovers in your family! Through many organizations, you can symbolically “adopt” an animal, and receive a plush toy, certificate of adoption, and a poster or photograph. Young children get a toy; wildlife organizations get badly needed financial support. Some of the programs I’ve enjoyed in the past are sponsored by the National Zoo, the National Wildlife Fund, Adopt a Lemur from Duke University’s Lemur Center, Sea Turtle Conservancy’s adoption program, and World Wildlife Fund.
• Do you have a bike? By giving bikes to not just the kids, but also the adults in the family, you’ll be encouraging the option of green transportation for local trips (plus you might lose a few of those Christmas cookie pounds!) 

  

  A bike makes an amazing gift!

• How about a new set of non-Teflon coated cookware? Have you wanted to upgrade your cooking utensils and get away from plastic that can release toxins when heated? Trade up for pots and pans that AREN’T coated in Teflon, reduce your family’s exposure to many harmful chemicals.
• Got an avid gardener in the family? Christmas is the perfect time to set someone up for a successful butterfly or vegetable garden in 2016 – garden tools, seeds, composting equipment, even rain barrels are gifts that your family can enjoy throughout the year. Birdfeeders and bird baths are a nice addition to any garden. If you really want to go all out, how about beekeeping equipment?
• Lifelong learning! Gifts certificates for classes are a waste-free gift that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Be it cooking, archery, knitting, photography, or sailing classes – you know they’ll love it!
• How about a gift that lets the receiver enjoy the great outdoors? Camping equipment was my birthday gift last year! Not into camping? Think “roughing it” is a black and white TV? Then how about binoculars or a field guide for an aspiring bird or butterfly watcher, or a camera for the budding nature photographer?
• Got someone in the family that enjoys camping or vacations in cabins? Virginia State Parks offer gift certificates that can be used for camping, cabins, parking, and picnic shelter rentals. Outside of VA? You can always give an annual pass for national parks and federal recreational lands. 
• How about non-toxic soaps and shampoos from eco-friendly companies? Many manufacturers now make these products, but some of my favorites are The Body Shop, Aveda, and the Parsonage.

We hope this list gives you a little food for thought as you head into Christian and other faith-based gift-giving and celebrative seasons. Here’s wishing you a blessed and GREEN Christmas!

Desiree Di Mauro, PhD
Blog: www.greenmomster.org
Chair, Creation Care Committee
Emanuel Lutheran Church, Vienna, VA

We Must Be the Climate Leaders We Need

The global climate talks in Paris at the end of this month may be our last, best hope to avert the worst consequences of climate change.

 We must urge our leaders to conclude a strong, binding global climate agreement. The US must show leadership by drastically cutting our carbon pollution and aiding people and environments already damaged by climate change.

Pope Francis asks, in his encyclical letter “Laudato si’” What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? He called for all of us to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Peter Morales, President of the UUA, and Bill Schultz, President of the UU Service Committee, wrote: The crisis of climate change is the gravest threat facing our world today.

More than 10,000 African American clergy last week called for climate change abatement as a human rights and social justice obligation: “we view climate change as a moral issue and one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Breathing dirty, carbon-polluted air that causes climate change contributes to thousands of asthma attacks, hospital visits, and premature deaths every year. Black and low income communities are often hit the hardest.” But agreements by politicians and national governments will not be sufficient. The Black ministers recognize that we must all act: “We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement and faithful use by humankind.“

Faith communities can demonstrate moral leadership on climate change by publicly committing as congregations and as individuals to reduce our energy use -- and then, to act on those commitments.

Take the Paris Pledge to strive for a 50% carbon emission reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Through the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions website, personal outreach and interfaith meetings, FACS will help congregations and congregants share their successes and challenges in reducing energy waste. Caring for creation is a responsibility of each of us – as individuals, as congregations, as states and countries. None can shirk.

The EPA estimates that the average building wastes 30% of its energy. If America’s 370,000 congregations cut energy use just 20%, it would save nearly $630 million per year that could be applied to missions and other priorities, and prevent more than 2.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Repairing our damaged planet, calls forth our best selves. Pope Francis’ encyclical concludes: May our struggles and our concern for planet never take away the joy of our hope. We must all be the leaders that we need to preserve our quality of life for our children.

May it be so.

Eric Goplerud, Executive Director
Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions