I had a day’s holiday from work yesterday to do some Christmas shopping. I know a lot of people won’t even start thinking about that until at least the beginning of December but, given that that’s tomorrow (wherever does the time go??!), I wanted to make a head start.
I have to confess to loving shopping and there are some amazing things to buy for people. I’m a bit of a marketeers’ dream to be honest and would happily spend a King’s ransom on all my nearest and dearest if only means allowed! However, I can’t help thinking (as rightly I should) about how wasteful this, now, over-commercialised festival has become. Such thinking, in turn, will always lead me to think of unnecessary carbon emissions. Unwanted gifts now mean not only wasted hard earned cash but unnecessary carbon emission in production of said gifts and distribution etc. Not to mention the implications of landfill, should your gift be way off the mark! I’ve considered Oxfam gift of a goat type options in the past, I think they’re an ingenious and extremely worthwhile idea but I’m not sure how many of my friends and family would really prefer me to buy a goat for a village in Africa over something superfluous but attractive/intoxicating/delicious/fun etc. for them! With these thoughts fresh in my mind I googled ‘low carbon xmas gifts’ this lunchtime and was pleased when a few choices popped up. For example, www.carbonzerostore.com have excellent CO2 offsetting and reduction gifts ranging from buying 3 low energy light bulbs for installation in Africa at £15 up to £100 to go towards an African biogas digester – ideas with excellent ethical credentials on so many levels.
I’m not going to be disingenuous enough to here and now pledge to buy such gifts but I do think it’s reassuring to have the options available. The more widespread and mainstream these options become the more likely one of my friends and family would be happy with a goat for Africa as a gift. As I begin wrapping my present mountain, a carbon suspect practice in itself given the materials required etc., I’ll no doubt be ruing the day I decided against the more ethical options available! Please comment with your suggestions for my dilemma ….
Angela Larke, Office Manager
