Consume, consume, consume. That message is about as easy to ignore this time of year as the sight of a plump, red-suited man tromping over a crest of new-fallen snow.
For Christmas celebrants who heed their consumption of energy, water and other natural resources throughout the year, the annual gift-giving bonanza can induce guilt. For many others, the promotion of supposedly eco-friendly gifts can seem contradictory (buy stuff to go green?), self-righteous or simply unappealing.
?Is it better to regift, or buy a new gift? It?s better to regift. They all know that.? says Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Still, he said, ?People hear that and it sounds like someone is trying to sell them austerity.?
But less than a week before Christmas, you can still find gifts that are both enjoyable and on the greener side. And you can even feel good about having procrastinated: driving all over town or ordering items from halfway around the globe would have added to the emissions associated with transportation, after all.
The environmental impact of little gifts is often modest, said Mr. Wackernagel, whose organization calculates the amount of land and water required to produce the resources that an individual, population or business consumes and to absorb the waste it generates. ?The big things really happen in the way you choose your lasting investments,? like where you live and how you get around, he noted. ?If your lasting investments are not future-proof, meaning they cannot operate without key resources, the value will shrivel away as these resources become more constrained.?
Nonetheless, the amount of waste generated in the United States each week between Thanksgiving and New Year?s Day is about one million tons greater than the typical rate during the rest of the year, according to California?s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
So a growing number of companies are making it easier to give the gift of local experiences rather than things. The following ideas go easy on the resources required for wrapping, packaging, manufacturing and shipping (not to mention operation and eventual disposal) in favor of outdoor adventure, local activities, good food, learning and entertainment. And we invite you to let us know about your own green gifting ideas.
1. Parks and Recreation. Two adults and up to a car full of friends can enjoy a year of adventure at more than 2,000 national parks and federal recreation areas with the America the Beautiful annual pass ($80). For those who like to get out and about close to home, check out offerings from your state park service. An annual Northwest Forest Pass ($30), for example, affords access to all recreation sites operated by the federal Forest Service in Washington and Oregon, and many states offer annual passes and gift certificates to cover entrance fees, camping reservations and registrations at state parks.
Take note, however: delivery of the physical pass may take up to a month if you order online. To purchase in person, head to the closest parks office or check your parks department Web site to see if passes are sold through local stores. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, for example, makes passes available at REI, Safeway and other retailers.
2. Science Center and Museum Madness. For that special someone whose child just can?t get enough of dinosaurs or who regales you with tales of scientific breakthroughs and forgotten geniuses, the gift of membership at a local museum or science center is a way to feed that hunger for knowledge and share it with friends. Memberships at places like the California Academy of Sciences (from $99) in San Francisco, the Houston Museum of Natural Science (from $40) and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (from $50) in Philadelphia often include exhibit previews, exclusive access and other benefits in addition to unlimited free admission.
When you purchase a membership at a local science center, the gift recipient may also gain access to more than 300 centers and museums participating in the A.S.T.C. (Association of Science ? Technology Centers) Passport Program, including Chicago?s Field Museum (from $60) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
3. Romance on the High Seas. (Or rivers, streams, bays, etc.) It might seem a bit cold for such adventures now, but as the chill passes, landlubbers can try their hand at rafting, kayaking, canoeing, sailing and surfing. Several outfits now offer activities that add a tour of a winery or a brewery to the rafting or paddling experience.
In Delaware, for example, Quest Kayak and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery lead kayakers through the McCabe Nature Preserve before visiting the Dogfish Head Brewery ($65, May through October). You can find a sampling of options available near you or your lucky recipient at Xperiencedays.com.
4. Hands-On Foodies. For friends, family members and maybe a spouse on your list who would rather stay warm, dry and well fed, consider a cooking class. In coming months, Le Cordon Bleu chefs are scheduled to lead workshops throughout the country that focus on breakfast foods, bread, chocolates, sushi, seafood, vegetarian cuisine and much more through the MasterChef?s cooking class program for amateurs.
5. Fine Dining, In or Out. Treat friends and family to the good life with a meal at one of the restaurants offering gift cards through Treatful.com in 15 cities. For those who might prefer a chef-made meal at home, you have the option to check out Munchery, which makes it easy to order meals directly from local professional chefs (gift cards from $25; currently available only in the San Francisco Bay Area).
6. Sports Events. Fans of the local pro or college team may not need more logo-emblazoned gear. But how about a ticket to see the team in action? MLB.com offers gift cards ($25 to $250) that can be applied toward tickets to the Colorado Rockies, Oakland A?s, San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers or Pittsburgh Pirates games.
7. Music and Theater. Music, drama, dance, opera ? whatever the genre, an event at a central location well served by public transit can pair low environmental impact with high personal impact. StubHub?s gift certificates can be used for arts events, but if you?d like to give a more specific gift, you can also check local theater companies and popular venues for season tickets and gift cards.
Can?t find a gift program for the troupe you like? Giftly makes it possible to create your own gift card for any item or experience and then either print it out or send it via Facebook, e-mail, text message, or mail.
8. Choose Your Own Adventure. Not sure what that brother-in-law or distant cousin might like? Skip the joke gifts destined for the landfill and offer a range of options instead. The start-up Gidsy offers a frequently changing menu of workshops and activities led by independent local experts. Gift cards start at about $33.
Current workshops include a kite-boarding lesson ($50) in Austin, an urban farming how-to in Dallas, an excursion in a floating research laboratory on the Spree River in Berlin ($15) and a three-hour ?flat tire social? ($20) where cyclists can learn to change a flat from a member of the staff at Mission Bicycle Company in San Francisco, with the lesson sandwiched between coffee and vegan donuts and a bicycle tour of neighborhood bike businesses.
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