Make Your Holiday Celebrations More Eco-friendly

‘Tis the season to be kind to the environment. Instead of faux Christmas trees, energy-draining light displays and gifts wrapped in eight layers of paper, celebrate the season by making a few eco-friendly changes to your holiday celebrations.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips for a green Christmas.

Aside from power plants we use to generate our electricity, transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. The impact from our ever-increasing daily commutes and trucking and flying goods all over the world is huge.

But if we are going to trim the biggest source of fuel consumption, it is by far the miles we spend in our cars. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, passenger cars are the biggest offenders in the transportation sector, accounting for more than one third of emissions. In America, trucks are close behind.

Buying Local: Fresher and healthier is just the beginning

When Todd Waltermire and Joy Holmes started their chicken farm in Shelton, Washington three years ago, they wanted to create a farm that used sustainable practices and respected the environment—much like farming used to be.

Their farm, Oakland Bay Farm, which includes an on-site retail local food producers’ co-op, sits on a 16-acre portion of a 500-plus acre property that was homesteaded in the 1860’s. In fact, they live in the original farmhouse built in 1887.

In today’s world, we can’t just hop in our cars and drive to work or do errands without thinking of the price of gas and the environment! With so many cars on the road, there has to be a better way to travel from one destination to the next.

Do you request plastic bags at the grocery store? Do you choose paper? What about compostable plastic, often made of starches that break down over time? Does your grocer even offer them? Or are you a dyed-in-the-wool reusable bagger? Whatever your choice, you may find government will make it for you.