The plain truth is that Americans love to consume, and we do it with more abandon than ever during the holiday season. Nearly a quarter of all retail goods move out of stores and into homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas (and, we suspect, often into landfills by January).
That poses a dilemma for the thoughtful and socially responsible holiday shopper. What if one of those “four calling birds” is an endangered species? What if the precious metal in the “five golden rings” was mined in an environmentally insensitive manner? What on earth to do about all the noise pollution from those “12 drummers drumming”?
And, most of all, how do you stay in the holiday spirit while still being kind to our planet? Grist‘s Glenn Scherer interviews The Green Guide about suggestions for a greener Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, solstice, whatever.
Let’s start with this now-classic question: How do I know if it’s better to get a live Christmas tree or an artificial one?
You ask Umbra, of course! Grist‘s environmental advice columnist tackled this topic in depth in a recent column.
How about some sugges... Read more
