Thanksgiving - DONE RIGHT
Well, it seems (to me anyway) like many people are finally waking up to the notion that the world needs help, and if we don't each start doing our part now, our kids are basically screwed. If you have read any of my past blogs, you have seen all the eco saving info, tips & tricks to again...doing your part. I have explained palm oil & how its killing our rainforests, given you eco substitutions for tons of daily products, taught you how to read the codes on items to recycle, explained the differences between "grass-fed", "Pasture raised", "Cage Free"...& many more, and made it all simple to learn and practical to implement. That being said, I think I've at least earned a moment to consider changing the way you do Thanksgiving.
Lets just cut the S#*t shall we. We ALL know TG is about consumption, & of much more than just food. Yes we participate in a mass slaughter of turkeys for NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON...and yes we eat a ton while people are starving all over the world, but we don't even consider what all of this is doing to out planet. The footprint we leave during the holidays is one of the big reasons we now need more than 5 planets to sustain our cumulative lifestyle... and if we plan on making a change for our children, let me ask you...WHEN? When will that change start to happen? Why not NOW......
As you plan for TG this year, let me do my thing, and give you simple to read and easy to execute ways to ECO YOUR THANKSGIVING:
INCORPORATE MORE PLANT BASED FOODS. Meat production releases a huge amount of heat trapping greenhouse gasses, which contribute greatly to global warming. So when planning your feast this year, look for any way you can to swap animal products for the plant based version. Example - Swap chicken broth for vegetable broth, butter for olive oil, sausage stuffing for veggie stuffing..and the last goes on.
OPT FOR PASTURE RAISED TURKEY. If you just must eat turkey, go pasture raised. These birds are raised on open pastures and free to forage. They play a crucial role in farming agriculture and revitalizing the land. That are free from any cancer causing antibiotics, hormones, and harmful ingredients. Oh, and its a step in the RIGHT direction.
SHOP LOCALLY. This means less pollution from trucks and ships..and less packaging. Also, when you buy locally, you're investing in your own community, which is what TG should be about! Thanking each other and showing our gratitude.
DECORATE WITH NATURE. Ditch the usual plastic decorations that will go right into our monstrous landfills and go for natural things like pumpkins, acorns, walnuts in the shell, and pinecones!
RETHINK GIFTING. When entering the season of "giving", think of how you can decrease the amount of waste you produce. When buying, go for fair trade or ethically sourced products. Or gift anything that doesn't require packaging that will end up in our landfills.
MINIMIZE PLASTIC USE. Avoid using disposable plastic anything. Instead, go for bamboo, or hell...use what you already have.
CUT DOWN ON FOOD WASTE. We waste an extra FIVE MILLION pounds of uneaten food each year from Thanksgiving to New Years. Wow. So to prevent this from happening, carefully plan your recipes and grocery shopping lists. Just don't overdue it! Remember..it should be about quality..not quantity.
It is high time we all tucked our pants into our socks and got crackin with saving our gorgeous Mother Earth. And I know, saving the planet isn't always convenient. But you know what is also not convenient? Not having a planet. If we ALL rally together we MIGHT be able to pull this off. But we seriously have to start like YESTERDAY.