Sustainable holidays

…With the advent of global climate change and peak oil, rampant consumerism takes on a more threatening aspect. Buying lots of stuff means more and more goods being manufactured and transported around the world, using more and more fuel and producing more and more greenhouse gases.

So the gifts we give to loved ones not only incur costs to our pocketbooks, but also many hidden costs to our planetary life support system, as well as to under-paid and over-worked people in Third World countries.


So what’s a caring person to do? We still want the joy of giving our loved ones gifts of meaning and value, especially our children. And as much as we may regret the origins of many things we buy, we may need at least some of these things to live comfortably in our culture.

I can’t pretend I’ve solved this dilemma for myself. But I can share with you a few ideas for more sustainable gift-giving. Instead of rushing out to do hasty last minute shopping – feeling the pressure of other’s expectations – you might try one of these ideas.

Mt. Shasta News (California)