This holiday of thanks – held on October 13th in Canada and November 27th in the USA - has certainly been transformed over the years. A holiday that originated in celebrating the Fall-harvest and spending time with family has manifested into an orgy of overeating and waste. Thanksgiving, like so many North American holidays, is about squandering resources and overconsumption. We have gathered a few green tips to help make your Thanksgiving more sustainable.
Buy Local. Whatever you consume, try to buy as locally as possible. British Columbia-based FarmFolk/CityFolk explains that ‘the average North American meal travels 2,400 km to get from field to plate and contains ingredients from 5 countries in addition to our own’. A 2002 Worldwatch Report found an average North American meal made with ingredients from a supermarket actually takes 4 to 17 times more petroleum consumption in transport than the same meal made from local ingredients. Buying local is good for your community and the planet.
Each year in the USA, more than 40 billion plastic utensils are thrown into landfills.
Carpool. Choose a central location for your holiday meal and encourage friends and family to carpool. There are an estimated 600 million personal vehicles driving around on the planet. Each litre of gasoline used by a car produces 2.3kg of carbon dioxide. The Sierra Club USA explains that ‘the average car emits about 6.3 tons of CO2 over a year — and the average SUV or pickup emits around 8.2 tons.’ They also report that America's automobiles produce more global warming pollution than all the vehicles, power plants, and factories in Great Britain, combined. Reducing the number of cars on the road directly contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gases.
In the USA, 271 million turkeys will be raised and slaughtered in 2008.
Compost. Compost your kitchen waste instead of throwing it into the landfill. “Kitchen and yard wastes typically comprise about one third of household garbage,” reports the Victoria Compost Education Center. Composting reduces waste in the landfill, thus reducing methane production. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas believed to be 20 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Do not use paper plates and plastic cutlery. This is non-negotiable. Although it might seem like a convenience, using single use plates and cutlery ends up costing the earth. Plastic cutlery is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. In a landfill, a piece of plastic may take between 500-1000 years to breakdown into smaller components. Each year in the USA, more than 40 billion plastic utensils are thrown into landfills.If you absolutely must use something that doesn’t have to be washed, try Bambu biodegradable bamboo cutlery and plates or products made from biodegradable cornstarch, non-GMO wheat and potato.
A billion people are overweight, more than 300 million of whom are considered obese compared to the 800 million who do not have enough to eat.
Eat Less. Why do we think it is acceptable to gorge ourselves on food? We stuff ourselves until we cannot move, need to sleep, or feel ill for several days afterwards. With more than two out of every three Americans overweight, it means we consume more food, require more fossil fuels to make and transport our food, and our bodies around, and create more bodily waste. The World Health Organization reports that more than a billion people are overweight, more than 300 million of whom are considered obese compared to the 800 million who do not have enough to eat.
Go turkey free. In the USA, 271 million turkeys will be raised and slaughtered in 2008. The turkey industry is a $13.9 billion dollar industry reports the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and has increased 116% since 1970. Unfortunately, the vast majority of turkeys consumed in North America have been raised in industrialized conditions and will be slaughtered in an automated setting. If you must consume turkey for the holidays, purchase an organic turkey and inquire about the slaughter process. Most local farmers are more than willing to explain how the creature was raised and slaughtered.
Offset. Air travel has a serious impact on the environment. An Aviation and Global Climate Change study, from the UK-based Friends of the Earth, found air travel to be the world’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Their study indicates the world’s 16,000 commercial jet aircraft generate more than 600 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.
If you must fly, travel in economy, pack very little and try to fly in the daytime. Individuals can also purchase Gold Standard carbon offsets. Although far from an exact science, carbon offsetting does encourage people to take some responsibility from their ecological footprint. However Charlie Kronick, head of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign UK, said in a statement, ‘The truth is, once you've put a ton of CO2 into the atmosphere there's nothing offsetting can do to stop it changing our climate.’
Organic Food. It may cost a bit more, but it's hard to be full of thanks when you are consuming pesticides, chemical fertilizers, heavy metals and genetically modified components. Buying organic food supports farmers, improves food security, preserves agricultural land and most importantly, gives the finger to Frankenfood manufacturers like Monsanto.
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