I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

I am an environmentalist at heart. A pragmatic one. I have a small footprint, both physically and figuratively. I wear a size 8 shoe (well 8.5), take public transport, purchase many things second-hand (including the dog), religiously read product labels, avoid meat, and recycle just about everything I can. But I am guilty of sins for which I am waiting to be struck by organic lightning. I took a bath the other night. And not an ordinary one- I threw a big fragrant bath bomb in the water and filled the Olympic-sized bathtub half full with scorching water. I moaned, I writhed- it was glorious. I felt a pang of guilt afterward until I sat down in a bath that I haven't taken in years afterglow. Indeed, the only thing missing was enjoying a hand-rolled cigarette with Barrack Obama.

For Christmas this year I shipped two packages, with each going to my nephews in the United States. Inside were toys that were made locally here in England. By buying local, I minimized the amount of carbon necessary to bring the toys to me here in the South of England. But I boxed those toys up and shipped them via airplane internationally. Airlines are notorious polluters, with their noxious output being spit high in the atmosphere to maximize environmental impact. Organic lightning strikes.

So what is the pragmatic environmentalist to do- not ship gifts to his nephews? I did avoid wrapping them, however, in order to save some wrapping paper that they would just tear through straight away without having the opportunity to enjoy, even for a second, what might be lurking underneath. I even withheld a card although I did mail one separately to their parents, which was printed on recycled paper. I suppose I could have waited and brought the gifts with me when I come home in March but I don't want to spoil the memories of their second Christmas.

There are groups like Buy Nothing Christmas who advocate giving zero gifts. No wonder the green movement often gets a bum rap.

So what is this strange holiday called Christmas anyways? Does it exist to better ourselves or the world or just cater to consumer wants that become needs at the end of the year? I would advocate foregoing gifts altogether in lieu of a nice family vacation to a warm destination but the airplane albatross once again hangs over that idea. I would advocate donating money that would be spent on charitable efforts but how do you explain to children that their gifts went to other children.

Can we apply carbon control methods? Buy less, cap and trade, reduce and reuse, buy local, or wrap presents from paper bin discards. Okay, I need to think this through. For now, as I hear reports about a White Christmas back home in the American Midwest, I will deal with a light green Christmas for now that I promise to make a darker shade of green every year.