HALIFAX - In the face of the growing climate crisis, and this being the year of Greta Thunberg with her millions of student protestors, this holiday season is a good time to focus on how to celebrate in an eco-friendly way.
Kareina D'Souza is with Dalhousie University's Office of Sustainability. She says the winter, and especially the holiday season, often means a spike in emissions and consumption.
"People are taking flights or driving more, visiting friends and family, and so there's a lot of elements of the holidays that have potential for waste," says D'Souza.
"It's not just waste, it's more energy like Christmas lights being on and it's colder so there more heating. There's a lot of elements this time of year that can lead to environmental impact."
These elements include waste from gift-giving such as wrapping paper and plastic packaging.
She notes using a plant-based approach to holiday meals is another good way to be environmentally-friendly this season.
"Meat is usually the centrepiece of most meals, but as people who are vegetarians, vegans, or have any sort of dietary restrictions will know, there are amazing and delicious meals that can be prepared that are plant-forward that have that same hearty feeling to them," D'Souza tells HalifaxToday.ca.
She believes it's important to lead by example. Give gifts with beeswax or newspaper wrapping, put out more plant-based snacks at parties, and encourage a culture of sustainability with friends and family.
This is the time of year for celebration and relaxation, but it is important to keep thinking about your environmental footprint even during these festivities.
"Everyone's day-to-day impacts add up, and if we could all try to move towards a more sustainable society that values the planet and the people that live on it, and the people that are going to be the ones who face impacts, it's sort of the best way to feel good about what you're doing during the holidays," she says.
Walking the fine line between celebration and sustainability may seem like a daunting challenge, but this holiday season it's more important than ever to make sure everyone does their part to help this planet stick around for a long time.
- HalifaxToday.ca/Rogers Media