I'm Dreaming of a Greener Christmas: Three Christmas Traditions That Could Use Some Ecological Pruning

GREEEN IS GOOD
by Margaret Smith

Now that Thanksgiving is over and all your leftovers have finally been eaten, it's time to get ready for what's been memorialized as "the most wonderful time of the year": Christmas. Carols, candy canes, Christmas cookies, the smell of evergreen hanging in the air -- it really can't get much better than that.

Or can it? What may be the time of the year that can bring out the best in people also has the potential to make us forget about our environmental consciousness.

Hey, we don't blame you. With the strands of twinkling lights, piles of wrapping paper and all the beautiful greenery, it's easy to lose your head during the holidays. But when the twinkling lights are constantly sucking out energy; the wrapping paper is just getting thrown away; and the greenery that is chopped down isn't getting recycled or being put back into the environment, then we have a problem.

Luckily, BuzzFlash has got you covered (just like we helped you out for Turkey Day). Here are our quick tips on how to have a greener Christmas.

1. The Tree
Each year it's always the same question: artificial or natural? Which one is better or worse for the environment?

Well, we're telling you now to go chop down a Christmas tree. Go ahead, it's OK. We know you want the real thing, and it turns out that it's better for the environment than the artificial version. Natural Christmas trees are 100 percent recyclable and a renewable resource (according to the National Christmas Tree Association, in 2008 alone there were an estimated 40-45 million new Christmas trees planted in North America). Artificial trees, on the other hand, are made with metals and PVC plastics, a harmful chemical that also contains lead. About 85 percent of all artificial trees are also made in China, requiring massive amounts of energy to be shipped halfway around the world and land in our living rooms.

Be careful when you're shopping around for your tree, though. Tree plantations could be sprayed with harmful chemicals and pesticides, so if you're really looking to go that extra mile it may be worth it to look for an organic tree grower.

There's also been a trend lately in potted Christmas trees that you can take home and grow all year long for next year. A recent report from Which? Gardening magazine in the United Kingdom found that potted Christmas trees don't always work as well as the real deal due to insufficient pot sizes and damaged roots, though, so it might be a good idea to play it safe and cut down your own Christmas tree. After all, everybody needs to get out of the big city once in a while.

(Want more info on how to recycle your Christmas tree? Check out the Pick Your Own guide to Christmas trees for everything you need.)

2. The Lights
Christmas lights may be beautiful, but nothing gets more frustrating when you're stringing them around the tree and suddenly you have to dig around for the one, broken bulb. If you switch all your lights for Light Emitting Diodes this year, though, you'll never find yourself in that problem again.

LEDs are the "unsung heroes in the electronic world". They're still tiny light bulbs that come in your favorite Christmas colors, but they just use a fraction of the wattage. The difference is that LEDs are illuminated by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material. What's more, they'll also last you just as long as a standard transistor. No filaments that burn out and no more hot light bulbs to burn your fingers? No problem.

3. The Decorations
Before you go out and buy all your decorations, figure out what you can use from home to spread the Christmas cheer. We don't mean to get all Martha Stewart on you here, but you really can make centerpieces out of pine cones, garlands from popcorn and cranberries, or wreaths from old wrapping paper. Even President Obama is using recycled Christmas decorations at the White House this year.

Unlike finishing up your Christmas shopping, going green for the holidays is easy. This year, give the environment a present, too.

GREEN IS GOOD

This photo is courtesy of tiffa130's photostream on Flickr.