Three zero-carbon gift ideas every environmentalist will appreciate

I’m seriously overwhelmed by the rush of holiday sales (since when did we do Black Friday sales?) it’s almost suffocating. As if we don’t spend a lot already all year round, here comes another reason to cash out even more.

According to an article released by Forbes, every object we give, no matter the occasion, “subtracts from the quality of their future.” What this means is that every time we resort to material things to give as gifts, our carbon footprint increases. Even if your gift is labeled as ‘environment-friendly,’ the process that went into making the item—sourcing, manufacturing, shipping—leaves a carbon footprint.

Your best bet at a zero-carbon or zero-waste Christmas is to actually not give anything at all. But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Here are three zero-carbon gift ideas everyone will appreciate.

Plant a tree

The Haribon Foundation hosts tree planting activities and this is a good time to sign up. Or if you own any land (or have a really big backyard), plant a tree in it so it can get to sequestering carbon. Trees like mahogany, bamboo, and pine are great for air pollution.

Offset your carbon footprints

By participating in projects that are committed to fighting climate change, you’re already doing so much more than everybody else on this planet. First, know how much carbon footprint you’re contributing (you can calculate yours here), then choose a project that would best offset that. Local communities like MUNI conduct seminars and forums on zero-waste living. You can also participate in coastal cleanups or sign an online petition and donate.

Give up meat and dairy

There are about 19 billion chickens on earth right now as I type, all for consumption. That’s like three chickens per human! According to the Worldwatch Institute, livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, or 51 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. If there’s even a small possibility of you giving up meat and dairy, not only will you save money, you’ll slowly end pollution and suffering, too.

What we’re saying is, if you care so much for the planet and everything in it, we can try to give our friends and family a better, greener, and cleaner future by starting with ourselves.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash