GREEN CHRISTMAS

A Green Christmas ? or 'buy more things to throw away'?

Do you gaze in dismay at the plastic Christmas displays in all the shops? How does all this relate to the media stories of floods, droughts and hurricanes, as climate change kicks in?

We?re under constant pressure to buy more things to throw away, and gobble up energy. Shops and houses sprout more and more lights and plastic tat - 'bah humbug' if you don't like it!

But you don't have to make a stark choice between glitz and gloom. Celebrate the Midwinter Solstice and/or Christmas, without wrecking the planet or your finances!

If climate change issues are gnawing at your conscience, you prefer individuality to mass consumerism, and can think of better ways to spend your money, read on:

Top 10 tips for a greener festive season

 Decorations
Collect up empty packages, scraps of fabric, wool, old cards, paints, scissors and glue - get friends or family round the table and let your creativity flow. Or make edible decorations,  buiscuits, fruit, marzipan, etc.

 Trees
We dump half a million trees each Christmas (www.foe.co.uk see faqs page) - a shame because trees pump out oxygen which we need and soak up climate-changing CO2. For a change, look around outdoors for fallen cones, branches, and festoons of ivy, to transform your home into a magical wonderland.
If you must have a tree, look for one with good roots, and apply TLC: don't bring it in the house too soon, keep it away from heaters, and remember to water it. Meanwhile get out there and plant a tree - your present to the planet.
Christmas tree recycling - Take your old natural Christmas trees along to any of the local Civic Amenity and Recycling Centres, or events where they will be shredded and composted. Trees will be accepted any time after Christmas (excluding Xmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day).

 Cards
1 billion Christmas cards are dumped each year in the UK (Friends of the Earth). Insist on recycled cards, and spread a sustainability message, see http://www.awelamantawe.org.uk/ Make your own from last year's cards + your inventiveness. Or try these: phone, send an e-card (www.foe.co.uk/cards/index.html), or best of all, just say your good wishes to folks who live near you, write newsy letters to those far away.

 Food and drink
Some sustainability factors to look for:
 Food miles - buy local produce.
 Organic - food grown with a thought for biodiversity, even better if you?ve grown it yourself.
 Fair trade - food whose growers have been fairly paid for their labours. Local Stockists include Siop Clare in Crymych, healthfood shops in Crymych, narberth, Newport and fishguard as well as supermarkets. Or see the online shop at www.traidcraft.co.uk
 Make the most of local shops and farmers markets; check out suppliers on www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk.
 See www.veganfamily.co.uk/yule for delicious cruelty-free recipes.

 Travel
Car journeys can be particularly fraught over the festive season as drivers become over-tired and many may be the worse for a seasonal drink or two, so aim for a few car-free days this Christmas.
Jumping on a cheap flight for Christmas seems like an irresistible bargain, but we're starting to realise that it's killing the planet. CO2 emissions from aircraft are the most rapidly rising in Britain and also the most damaging: they go straight into the stratosphere. If you like to get away, look at the excellent choices in the UK with www.naturaldiscovery.co.uk/  www.responsibletravel.com/ or go to Europe by fast train links www.seat61.com

 Heating
Be cosy this Christmas - check that your home is fully insulated, your heating appliances are serviced and working efficiently. Close doors windows and curtains (at night) and turn down your thermostat one degree. For your family's safety, use a carbon monoxide detector, available for £1 [RRP£2.50]. When you fill in a Home Energy Check at the West Wales Eco Centre (available online at www.ecocentre.org.uk) you receive a personalised report to help you save on your fuel bills and reduce your CO₂ output. For free and impartial advice, please call free on 0800 512012.

 Lights
It's not compulsory to cover your roof with flashing Santas, but if you crave festive lights, look for products using LEDs instead of traditional bulbs. LEDs last 10 times longer, produce virtually no heat and dramatically reduce power consumption. Meanwhile this is a good time to replace old inefficient bulbs around the house with energy efficient ones. It's a great investment, as every low energy bulb you use could save up to £100 in its lifetime!
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 (www.est.org.uk).

 Batteries
Wind-ups and solar-powered gifts apart, Christmas brings yet more battery-devouring appliances and toys. The energy used to manufacture a battery is around 50 times greater than it gives out, and the UK wastes 20,000 - 30,000 tonnes of batteries every year (www.wastewatch.org.uk). So use mains or go for rechargeable appliances where possible, and treat your household to a battery charger - preferably one that charges NiMH batteries, least damaging to the environment, and rechargeable 1000 times.

 Presents
Remember that good food makes a great gift, especially if you've made it yourself; also pictures, knitted hats, bedsocks! We know one family who have mutually agreed to buy all their presents from eBay and charity shops, price limit £10. Come to the Eco Centre for sustainable present ideas, from wind-up radios to an adopted turtle (www.mcsuk.org/turtles), and check www.thegoodshoppingguide.co.uk to ensure you don't give your hard-earned cash to unethical brands. Eco Centre's favourite gift book is 'Change the World for a Fiver: We Are What We Do'.
UK throws away 83 Km² of wrapping paper every Christmas, enough to cover 350 thousand London buses! So re-use it, or borrow the Japanese custom for re-usable fabric bags.

 Waste
Nearly 3 million tonnes of waste are dumped during Christmas in the UK (www.foe.co.uk), mostly in landfill holes where it seeps noxious gases and liquids. Food waste needn't be part of it - start composting now for a pleasanter bin bag.
Only around 12% of domestic waste is recycled and composted in Wales[1], but the Netherlands, Germany and Austria all recycle around 50% of their waste.[2]
Christmas shopping accounts for a fair chunk of the UK?s annual 10 billion plastic bags. Most end up in landfill, hedges, and the oceans, but there's a great alternative - buy yourself a shopping bag, and give them as chic and useful presents.

Remember the 3Rs:
 Re-cycle: sort and store your waste as it's generated, then put it out for collection or take to Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre.
 Re-use: better still, find ways to re-use it (come to the Eco Centre for ideas).
 Reduce: best of all, buy less stuff in the first place!

Article ends.

Most of this article was written by shiela and has been on our website, I have updated a couple of things, and referenced others:
1 http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?id=6730&parent_directory_id=646&nav=107,559,569
2. http://chelus.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20000124162557.html plus another FoE press release
For more information contact Cara Wilson, West Wales Eco centre 01239 821906