In recent years the mass media has been clever in the way that they have linked consumerism to the message of Christmas. The story of Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’ is perfect for this. A man who doesn’t like Christmas and is unkind to people is shown the error of his ways by a ghost. He repents and he spends his money buying lots of presents. It seems today that the fate of the nation’s economic prosperity is largely in the hands of consumers at Christmas time. It seems without record sales the economy cannot grow.
This year it is slightly different. The American national debt has never been as large, unemployment never so prevalent and house re-possession rates never so high. There seems to be little job security for anyone not on Wall Street. Obama has failed to deliver on his promises for change and 2012 holds ignominious retreats from both Afghanistan and Iraq to further dent national pride.
Doing the right thing this year is not wielding your credit card like it is a magical weapon. It is not going into debt to put a smile on a child’s face. What that child really needs is security. This means a home to live in and a healthy natural environment.
I’m not advocating that people don’t buy Christmas presents, but I am saying that people should be smart enough to look at their situation and set a budget and stick to it. They should also do what they can to cut down on carbon emissions during the holiday period. Natural disasters caused by global warming could be as close as 5 years away if consumers do not go green.
One simple way to make your Christmas celebrations more environmentally friendly is to cut down on mileage. Try to get as much of your shopping done at the same time as possible. Buying over the internet can also reduce emissions because online shops ship in bulk.
Another suggestion is to avoid leaving the heating on 24 hours a day. Wear sweaters and slacks not shorts and a T-shirt, and regulate the heating hours with a programmable thermostat.
Being generally mindful of electricity consumption at Christmas time will cut down on carbon emissions from power plants and will avoid nasty spikes in bills at the end of the month. If an electrical appliance or light is not being used simply turn it off. The notion of standby is inimical to this new age of austerity we are coming into. It does not add enough convenience to our lives to justify the money and fuel wasted on it.
Finally, why not give something back to nature. If the garbage disposal does not recycle then take your many empty cans and bottles from your Christmas celebrations to the nearest recycle point. And why not plant a tree in your garden to try and off-set your carbon emissions? I have a strong feeling that if Jesus was around today his message of love your neighbor would also include a proviso to love your environment.