THE gradual drift of the festive season into November or even earlier is enough to elicit a 鈥淏ah humbug鈥� from even the jolliest old elf. Christmas early-sliding is mostly driven by struggling shops trying to prop up sales with an end-of-year push, but it is indicative of a larger problem: the rampant consumerism that is despoiling the planet.
Put simply, most people in the West are buying too much stuff, eating too much food and then throwing too much of it in the bin. Thankfully, we have an antidote in the form of the ultimate guide for shrinking the environmental footprint of your Christmas (see 鈥�Green Christmas: How to have an ethical and guilt-free festive season鈥�).
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This doesn鈥檛 mean celebrating in a hair shirt, but rather minimising the impact of some of the worst festive excesses. Whether it is making your own gifts, cutting down on meat or even just reusing wrapping paper, there are loads of ways to give you a warm holiday glow inside.
Or if you must buy something, at least let it feed your mind 鈥� see our guide to the best books of the year (鈥�14 great science and tech books to give as presents this Christmas鈥�).
And hey, at least we waited until December to break out the Christmas content.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淢ake it a green Xmas鈥�
