Dreaming of a Green Christmas

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Stella Mitchell
6 years ago
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1 Dreaming of a Green Christmas The s of Christmas We are all well aware of the financial costs of Christmas (in the UK, for example, each household spends on average 700 over the festive period) but we are probably less aware of the environmental costs. Christmas is one of the most heavily consumptive times of the year, with additional expenses including everything from food,, energy usage and gifts. What is the of this additional consumerism, and how may it be reduced? In just a fortnight we each throw away from home on average five glass bottles or jars, six cans, seven plastic bottles and three and a half kilograms of paper and card, amongst other things. In the UK 3 million tonnes of extra waste is thrown away over Christmas. It is estimated that for every tonne of waste produced, five tonnes has already been produced in manufacturing and 10 tonnes at the point where the raw material was extracted. The extra waste production at Christmas is clearly not good for the environment, but what possible solutions exist? Understanding the effects of extra consumption may enable us to reappraise the way in which we approach the Christmas period. Before continuing with this worksheet, complete the following table. Circle the number that best fits your views on Christmas consumption, on the scale from 1 to 10. Questionnaire 1 on attitudes to Christmas consumption I consider the environmental impacts of the tree I buy I buy locally sourced food at Christmas I recycle paper and I think carefully to make sure gifts are green I think carefully about the carbon footprint of lights I don t consider a tree s I don t mind where my Christmas food is sourced I buy new paper and each year I do not think about a gift s s I do not think about the Christmas lights footprint I recycle Christmas cards I do not recycle my Christmas cards I recycle food packing and bottles at Christmas I do not recycle at Christmas Total

2 A high score means that in general you do not consider the of Christmas, whereas a low score implies you consider carefully your ecological footprint at Christmas. Now read the following information about the impacts of different aspects of Christmas. At the end you will be asked to reassess your views. The Tree Are real (i.e. natural) trees better for the environment than artificial trees? Artificial trees can be used year after year, and this is often used as a positive selling point. Although artificial trees last longer than real trees (six years on average), their manufacture and disposal are more problematic because of what they are made of. Negatives include: Most artificial trees are constructed from the soft plastic PVC (polyvinyl chloride). PVC is not recyclable, nor is it biodegradable. When disposed of, lead, phthalates, and other toxic additives contained in the PVC can leach into the ground and drinking water supplies from landfills. Lead levels in the environment have increased by 1,000 times in the past few hundred years. Incineration of PVC products also causes problems as it produces dioxins and furans, which are among the most toxic environmental contaminants and are known carcinogens. 90 per cent of phthalates are used to make PVC. More people purchase and display artificial trees from year to year than those with real trees. In the US, 36 million natural trees were purchased in 2006, compared to 46 million artificial trees. Real, living Christmas trees have several important advantages over artificial trees: Real trees contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases by absorbing CO 2. They also protect wildlife, and reduce soil erosion. One acre of land planted with Christmas trees will produce enough oxygen for 18 people, and since there are over 500,000 acres of land in production for Christmas trees across the US, these farms produce enough oxygen for almost 28,000 people. In 2008, close to 45 million trees were planted in North America, adding to the total of over 400 million trees growing nationwide. Real trees are also relatively easy to recycle, and because of strong public recycling programs in e.g. the USA, 93 per cent of consumers in the US claim to recycle their trees. Approximately 6 million Christmas trees in the UK end up in landfill sites every January greater education about the need to recycle should lead to improved recycling figures. Christmas Dinner The average Christmas dinner has probably travelled 30,000 miles before ending up on your plate. A European turkey, African vegetables, Australian wine and American cranberry sauce may have accumulated enough miles to circumnavigate the globe. The lack of thought given to the sourcing of the Christmas meal could be contributing significantly to the aviation industry's greenhouse gas emissions as it flies vegetables around the world, and proliferating inequalities in food provision

3 between LEDCs and MEDCs. Farmers in Africa may be paying a high social and environmental price by growing inappropriate cash crops geared for western markets rather than traditional production. Financial benefits are seen by Western countries rather than the countries where the food is produced (see textbook pages ). Gifts In 2006, Americans spent nearly $32 billion on holiday gifts,, and festivities, with $21 billion spent online. Gift giving, gift-wrapping, as well as festive decorating and lighting all make up a large portion of total holiday spending, but the resulting waste can have a significant environmental impact. Not only do these products often come in wasteful packaging, but they also require the extraction of new natural resources during production, and energy for transport from extraction site to manufacturer to recipient. A gift that quickly becomes obsolete, breaks, or no longer suits the owner s tastes or needs, means that the resources used in its production go to waste. Wrapping 40,000 trees are used to make 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper used for presents. It is estimated that over Christmas as much as 83 km 2 of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins, enough to cover an area larger than the island of Guernsey. Cards 200,000 trees are felled to produce 1.7 billion Christmas cards sent in the UK. The Royal Mail delivers around 150 million cards and packets each day during the pre-christmas period. It is estimated that up to 1 billion Christmas cards (17 for every man, woman and child) could end up in bins across the UK. Lights The Energy Saving Trust says even a normal string of Christmas tree lights used for 10 hours a day for 12 days generates enough carbon dioxide to fill 12 party balloons. Outdoor have become popular in the UK and other countries, following the USA. A large range of lights are available, from chains of electric icicles to 12 foot illuminated sets of Santa and associated reindeers. One display in Lanarkshire, UK, which has been appearing yearly for over a decade uses 1.2 million bulbs and 50,000-worth of and equipment, can be seen from two miles away. The amount of power needed to keep these lit must increase the carbon footprint of the household in question, with the extra power needed leading to extra CO 2 emissions. Environmental groups are often reluctant to point out such impacts for fear of sounding like Ebenezer Scrooge and dampening the Christmas spirit. Drinks The UK could use an extra 750 million bottles and glass containers, and 500 million drinks cans. About 20% to 30% more glass and cans are collected each year over the Christmas period. Now complete the following questionnaire:

4 Questionnaire 2 on attitudes to Christmas consumption I will consider a tree s I will buy locally sourced food at Christmas I will recycle paper and I will think carefully to make sure gifts are green I will think carefully about the carbon footprint of lights I will not consider a tree s I won t mind where my Christmas food is sourced I will buy new paper and I won t think about a gift s s I won t think about the Christmas lights footprint I will recycle Christmas cards I won t recycle my Christmas cards I will recycle food packing and bottles at Christmas I won t recycle at Christmas Total Has your overall score changed? If so, how are you going to modify your behaviour this Christmas? Here are some ideas. Reducing your Christmas footprint Your environmental footprint can be calculated by measuring your consumption of food and energy (see textbook, page 161). What about your environmental footprint at Christmas, and how can this be reduced? Here are some suggestions: Don t over indulge eat, drink and give gifts in moderation. Give gifts with a low : o Vouchers for services (e.g. beauty treatment; haircuts; gardening; housecleaning) o Tickets: movies, concerts, sports events, theatre o Memberships: gyms, sports clubs, zoos, museums, galleries o Personal favour vouchers (carrying out every day jobs for the recipient): e.g. three hours of childcare, a month of lawn mowing, four car washes, etc. o Gifts that give : charity donations; overseas aid project sponsorships and donations; buying gifts for children in need; sponsoring endangered animals; memberships and subscriptions to environmental organisations. Wrap gifts in newspaper or reused paper. Buy a real tree, and ensure it is either replanted (if it has roots) or taken to the chipper and fully recycled (if it is without roots).

5 Make and deliver your own cards. Alternatively, e-cards remove many s. Or how about just picking up the telephone and making a festive phone call? Recycle Christmas cards. Make your own and reuse old ones. Use LED lights rather than traditional bulbs. Do not use plastic bags when shopping take a reusable one. Shop in your local area and buy locally made items. Try to avoid products which come layered in a lot of packaging. Source your Christmas dinner from locally grown food. Traditional ingredients of a Christmas dinner should be available locally the reason they were eaten at Christmas in the first place. Buy food and drink packaged in materials that can be recycled in your area, such as paper and glass. Order any extra milk in returnable bottles to avoid plastic bottles or cartons from the supermarket. Buy drinks, like lemonade or beer, in large containers, rather than in a lot of small ones: one large bottle results in less waste than a lot of small cans and it s more economical. For these and other ideas visit this website. Measuring the impact How can the of Christmas be measured? A report by the Australian Conservation Foundation, The Hidden Cost of Christmas, calculated the s of producing many popular Christmas gifts. The impacts were measured in terms of water use, land disturbance, greenhouse gas production, and the use of materials extracted from the Earth, including timber and livestock. Read the full report here. The French Junior Minister for the Environment, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, has asked the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) to carry out a study of the environmental impact of Christmas. The report will result in guidelines on reducing the festive footprint at a local level. Read about this here. Activities 1. The society in which you live may not celebrate Christmas, but have other religious or secular celebrations. Produce a worksheet similar to this one to assess the of a festival in your country. 2. Design your own questionnaire to assess views of consumerism at Christmas (on-line resources, Worksheet 7.2 Environmental Attitudes, has a model you could follow). The questionnaire could be aimed at your class, family or friends.

Resourceful Rubbish. Studies of Society Place and Space Features of places.

Resourceful Rubbish. Studies of Society Place and Space Features of places. Resourceful Rubbish Lesson aims How can you turn rubbish into a resource? Students will learn about recycling, separating rubbish and how we can use re-use items rather than put them in the waste bin!