Dreaming of a green Xmas
2006-11-13 23:36
London - British environmentalists are
dreaming of a green Christmas.
Turn off the lights, turn down the heating, stay at home and
wrap up warm they say in a message even Charles Dickens's
penny-pinching Scrooge might have approved of.
Eager to capitalise on a wave of eco-awareness sweeping the
country as politicians battle for green credentials, campaigners
want people to give a gift to the planet instead of each other.
Recycled wrapping paper and second-hand gifts are in, but
visiting friends and family are not - since travel adds too
much to global warming - and wine and food should be bought in
moderation from local sources to reduce so-called food miles.
Even the glittering fairy, tinsel and baubles that
traditionally adorn the Christmas tree should be shunned in
favour of edible and biodegradable decorations such as popcorn
or fruit which can be fed to the birds afterwards.
"Avoid anything that cannot be recycled or has not been made
from recycled materials," the Green Guide for Christmas says.
Christmas cards
According to Friends of the Earth environmental campaign
group the
equivalent of 248 000 trees could be saved if Britons alone
recycled - rather than threw away - the estimated 744 million
Christmas cards sent each year.
Another 50 000 trees could be saved if the 83 square
kilometres of wrapping paper that was thrown away last year was
recycled this time around.
Campaigners suggest wrapping gifts in old newspaper or
magazines - or at least buying wrapping paper made from recycled
materials.
For the gifts themselves, second-hand can be imaginative,
they say, and should not be seen as a "cheap option".
"Try flea markets, antique jewellery and vintage clothing
shops for gifts," Friends of the Earth suggests.
'Get online'
And those who really want to go green this Christmas can
forget that festive visit to granny or far-away friends.
Leave
the car in the garage, stay at home, and get online, campaigners
say.
"The advances in modern communications technology make it
possible to see and hear your kith and kind via the internet,
and investing in a simple webcam setup can bring you closer,"
says the Green Guide.
"It is certainly worth trying out, as the saving in CO2,
time and energy are considerable!"