Christmas is a time of plenty, and the season of abundant food, gifts and merriment creates a hefty climate impact and millions of metric tonnes of waste each year.
As awareness about climate change grows, many people are aiming to cut waste and enjoy an eco-friendly celebration.
Below are 10 ways to cut emissions and waste at Christmas:
Photo: Pixabay
照片：Pixabay
1. Ditch the Christmas jumper. They normally contain plastic and are often only worn once or twice. Those who cannot resist the trend are advised to re-use last year’s jumper or buy second-hand.
2. Driving home for Christmas? It could add a load onto your festive emissions. Taking the train or bus is a lower-impact way to travel than car or plane. Those who cannot avoid driving could consider car-pooling.
3. Get a real Christmas tree: a plastic tree has to be used for about ten years to be greener. Arranging for a tree to be recycled as mulch or compost after Christmas lowers its impact, and some firms offer tree rentals.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
照片：維基共享資源
4. Beware greenwashed consumerism: green products create a “warm glow” for users, according to a study by Canadian researchers, but consider whether green branding is being used to sell unnecessary items.
5. Deck the halls: twinkling lights with LED bulbs are more energy efficient, while anti-waste groups suggest re-using decorations and swapping flimsy plastic home decor for compostable greenery.
6. Opt for a vegan meal: vegan food is a major trend and has a lighter climate impact. Switching from a turkey Christmas dinner to a nut roast with all the trimmings can reduce the meal’s emissions by more than half.
Photo: Pixabay
照片：Pixabay
7. Pull your own crackers: store-bought varieties are a major source of waste. For a greener alternative, make your own crackers using old toilet roll tubes and add home-made gifts.
8. Reduce unwanted gifts: give experiences instead of things, or switch to a family “secret Santa” system where people only buy gifts for one or two others — limiting the strain on the environment.
9. Wrap it up: try to avoid gifts that come in excessive packaging and ditch glittery wrapping paper, cards and advent calendars as they cannot be recycled. Instead, wrap gifts in plain parcel paper or newspaper.
Photo: Pixabay
照片：Pixabay
10. Get talking: climate experts say mass awareness and lobbying is needed to bring change. Bringing up the issue over Christmas dinner might raise awareness — or at least provide a lively debate.
(Reuters)
聖誕節是物質豐沛的日子──而這段期間豐富的食物、禮物以及歡樂，卻對氣候造成了沉重的打擊，每年產生數百萬噸的廢棄物。
隨著人們對氣候變遷的認識加深，許多人的目標是減少浪費，好過個環境友善的佳節。
以下所列過聖誕節的十種方法，可以減少碳排放與浪費：
一、別穿聖誕毛衣。聖誕毛衣常含有塑膠，且通常只穿一兩次就丟了。對於那些無法抗拒應景物品的人，建議他們重覆穿去年的聖誕毛衣，或購買二手衣。
二、你回家過聖誕節是開車嗎？開車可能增加許多過節期間的碳排放。比起乘汽車或坐飛機，搭火車或巴士對環境的影響較小。至於那些不得不開車的人，則可以考慮共乘。
三、買棵真的聖誕樹：塑膠聖誕樹得要使用約十年，才會有環保效益。聖誕節過後，將樹回收作為護根材料或堆肥，可降低其環境衝擊。有公司提供樹木出租的服務，因此聖誕樹也可以用租的。
四、提防綠色消費主義：根據加拿大一項研究，綠色產品創造了「溫情效應」來吸引人購買，但請思考這標榜綠色、環保的品牌，是否在鼓吹你買一些你並不需要的東西。
五、大廳中的聖誕裝飾：以LED燈泡製成的閃爍燈較節能。反浪費團體則建議重複使用聖誕裝飾品，並改用可堆肥的綠色植物來布置，以取代脆弱易壞的塑膠裝飾品。
六、選擇純素食：純素食是大趨勢，對氣候的影響也較小。聖誕大餐的所有配料不變，但將火雞改為烤堅果，可將聖誕大餐的碳排放減少一半以上。
七、自製聖誕拉炮：在商店買的東西是浪費的主要來源。更環保的做法是，以捲筒衛生紙用罄後剩下的紙管自製聖誕拉炮，再以自製禮物填裝。
八、減少不想要的禮物：送人體驗，而非物品，或在家改採「神秘聖誕老人」的玩法──這樣只需買禮物給一兩個人﹝提高了禮物投其所好的機率﹞，因此會減少環境的負荷。
九、聖誕禮物包裝：盡量別買過度包裝的禮物，也不要用亮晶晶的包裝紙、卡片和聖誕倒數月曆，因其無法回收。請改用素色牛皮紙或報紙來包裝禮物。
十、一起討論：氣候專家表示，需要提高公眾對議題的意識，以及透過遊說，才能夠帶來改變。聖誕大餐席間提出議題，可提高對此議題的意識──起碼可以引起熱烈的辯論。
（台北時報林俐凱編譯）
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Questions
Questions
1. Every country/culture has a festival like Christmas, when families get together and celebrate. What is the festival of this kind in your country/culture?
2. In your opinion, why is the idea of abundance such an important theme in festivals like this? Is this idea still relevant today?
3. Please list at least three ways in this article to have a greener Christmas.
4. Are there any ways in which you could cut waste in your own traditions?
(Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
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