Green Christmas

Holidays and our ecological footprint … actions to make a difference

The current situation

The ecological footprint of the human populations throughout the world exceeds by 30% the biological capacity (or biocapacity) of the planet to renew the resources that the biosphere can produce. This is critical information is  revealed in the « Ecological Fooprint » report published in the 2008 Atlas. In 2013 it is estimated that from August 20 we have exceeded the limit of the biocapacity of the planet.

Our track record is very poor, in terms of ecological footprint. If all humans consumed at the same rate as the population of our country, the biocapacity required to meet this consumption would be greater than three and a half times that of the earth! On the other hand, in contrast to this huge over-consumption, there are now one billion people in the world suffering from malnourishment, according to the latest FAO report.

 

Green Christmas objectives

The upcoming holiday season is a great opportunity to start correcting this chocking situation. The holiday season is the time of year when we consume the most. We often buy useless objects which, consume a large amount of energy. Taking the time to make more in depth reflection will lead us to a different consumption, a different behaviour. It is the developed countries that are mainly responsible for this worsening of the ecological problem. The unbridled increase in consumption in the so-called developed countries is causing the imbalance between the biocapacity of ecosystems to produce enough resources to meet the ecological footprint we impose on the planet.

Our green Christmas solutions

Here is a series of actions and challenges that would help reduce our ecological footprint on the planet.

Holidays and our ecological footprint … actions to take

CategoriesI decrease my
EnergyEnergy-hungry decorations
The level of heating and lighting at night
My hours in front of the television
FoodMy consumption of foods that travelled a great distance
My meat consumption
Frozen dishes
TransportationMy motorized trips
My shopping in stores
Using my car
GiftsToys with batteries
The length of my shopping list
Commercila gift wraping
UtilitiesMy waste
My consumption of bottled water

CategoriesI increase
EnergyThe DIY natural decorations
Insulation and caulking of doors and windows
My reading hours
FoodMy consumption of locally produced foods
My consumption of beans and vegetables
Cooking with children
Transportation My daily walk
The use of public transportation
GiftsBuying local crafts and toys
My availability to people I love
The DIY of my packaging
UtilitiesThe use of the compost bin
My tap water consumption

 

Green Christmas Challenge

For those who love challenges Energy Challenge:

I will completely disconnect TV from December 25, 2009 to January 1, 2010

Challenge food: All the food I eat for a week is of local origin

Transportation Challenge: I organize a ride in one of my trips

Gift Challenge: I volunteer two hours at an organization of my choice

Utility Challenge: During a day I produce no waste

Source: Laurier Busque, November 22, 2013