Green Group discussion

Overconsumption is one of the biggest threats to the environment today.

How do you all limit your consumption over the holidays?

I usually buy books for my family and relatives. Even though I'm still consuming, hopefully, it is offset a bit because reading is good for everyone!

Check the labels on where things are made, how they are made, what they are made of, and who made them.

I try very hard to stick with gifts that can be consumed or used up in some way, and not go with just random "stuff".

And I very much agree with what Jimmy wrote. I also try to source local gifts. Maine maple syrup is always a popular choice!

Definitely local is good. Support the small businesses in your state/region.

And love the idea of Maine maple syrup! A couple of states away from me, but still part of my New England region.

I'm going to "bump" this thread for the holiday season.

Hopefully, we can get more ideas this season on holiday consumerism and overconsumption.

Oh, my, Lynn--what does it mean to "bump" a thead? lol

I found this site: http://eartheasy.com/give_sustainchri...

Our family decided 15 years ago that we had enough "stuff", so we make donations in each others' names. I got my friends small bowls from a local potter, who does lovely work.

From the eartheasy site, I like this idea: "A great way to teach children the spirit of giving (and simplifying) during the holidays is to ask them to pick 3 toys that they don't play with very much, and donate them to a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter etc. I saw children bring toys in to the shelter I worked at year after year - it was a wonderful experience for everyone!" Lauren, NH

Helping children think in terms of "giving" rather than "getting" is important imho.

That is a great idea! When I see how much "stuff" kids get nowadays, I find it very upsetting. It is all just too much, and gives the wrong message (in my humble opinion). And even adults - especially adults who can afford anything they want on their own, and there they are getting more "stuff." Half of which probably won't even be used.

:-) Bumping a thread just means taking a thread that has been buried at the botton of a particular forum and pushing it to the top by posting in that thread.

And here, I temporarily made this a thread that will stay at the top. After the holidays, I'll remove that so it will move down the ladder until the next holiday season!

:-) Thanks, Lynn--all I could think of was "bumper cars"! I do think the holidays offer a great opportunity to consider "consumerism", which after all is an economic framework that is WAY out of hand in the U.S.

Here's another source of ideas from an article written in 1991, but it's still timely: "How To Avoid Getting Wrapped Up In A Commercial Christmas" by Randolph Smith. My favorite idea expressed by Smith is:

"Try these gift suggestions: house plants made from cuttings from your favorite plants; framed family photos; sew or knit a garment; put together a family scrapbook or a child's history in photos; draw and frame a family tree; make an oral history of the family, interviewing older relatives on audio or video tape." (or digitally, in today's world :-)

He also mentions an idea my children did for me--a handmade booklet of "coupons", some good for dishwashing, some for hugs--they were really creative, and it didn't cost them anything.

http://articles.philly.com/1991-12-02...

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features...

"I counsel people that there are two types of gifts -- material gifts and experiential gifts," Robert Lilienfeld, author of Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are, tells WebMD. "The kinds of gifts that have the most positive emotional value -- the healthiest gifts -- are those that provide us with experiences. You can help people travel, you can give them tickets to concerts, museums, sporting events. For teenagers, an iTunes card is always welcome. From a use-less-stuff standpoint, this is very positive because you're giving an experience, not a thing, and those kinds of experiences stay with us longer anyway."

If you google "Use Less Stuff", you'll find that tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 21 is the 8th annual "Use Less Stuff" Day, thanks to Robert Lilienfeld

http://www.use-less-stuff.com/ULSDAY/...

Julia wrote: "From the eartheasy site, I like this idea: "A great way to teach children the spirit of giving (and simplifying) during the holidays is to ask them to pick 3 toys that they don't play with very much, and donate them to a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter etc. I saw children bring toys in to the shelter I worked at year after year - it was a wonderful experience for everyone!" Lauren, NH."

My sister does something similar to this. She only allows her kids to have a certain number of stuffed animals because she doesn't want to accumulate bunches and bunches that the kids do not really need, so if they want to get any new stuffed animals they first have to get rid of/donate older ones that they don't really play with any more.

She also tries to discourage people from giving her kids things like that for gifts.

When buying gifts for my nieces I try to think of something I can get them that will be useful and or educational in some way instead of just getting them another toy.

And for gifts our family just uses gift bags that we then save and use year after year instead of wrapping gifts and than having to just throw out the wrapping paper and buy new wrapping every year.

Silver wrote: "When buying gifts for my nieces I try to think of something I can get them that will be useful and or educational in some way instead of just getting them another toy.
"

Hi Silver - nice to see you here. :-)

That sounds like a great idea. And also, give them a bit less.

One thing that we are doing this year is to get each other gift cards to a nice restaurant. Then, it is all about getting together with friends / family and having a lovely experience rather than all about stuff.

I want to keep talking about this. The waste at Christmas ruins it, I feel sad and overwhelmed. We dont get wasteful over any other holidays. Even Easter this year.

But I need to keep thinking how to reduce Christmas junk-buying and also how to encourage others not to involve me in celebrations of consumerism

My wife and I give gifts that we produce on our permaculture farm. Dried herbs and root cellar items like squash and garlic and onions are nice. Or honey from the bees.

I've done some donations to favorite charities.

I like the local farmer idea.

I found some smashing ideas in this thread and I'd like us to keep it progressing.

For many people being green is small scale and local, and if everyone behaved that way the planet would be in a much better position.

For Easter, I'm told by parents that it's no longer about getting many chocolate eggs, for the kids. The kids actually prefer to go somewhere and have an Easter Egg Hunt. They want a fun afternoon out with parent and friends, and a mini adventure. This could be in a park or a castle, so look around for local attractions putting on these events.

Last Easter my husband and I were in Wales and we visited a castle which was putting on an event. The kids were given a drawing of a decorated egg, and all around the castle were hidden pots of crayons, each a particular colour, and a picture of the egg showing where to draw that colour. I imagine anyone getting it all right got a small prize egg.

The traditional way of hard-boiling eggs and painting them is still good.

Yesterday we were in our local shopping centre and shoppers were being given a free chocolate egg. Best of all, these eggs contained no plastic, just card and foil.

Happy Green Easter / Passover, y'all!

Thanks Brian! Wishing all Green Group members well for the Spring holiday of their choice.