Tips for A Socially and Environmentally Sound Holiday Season

Christmas is upon us yet again. The time of year where people feel called to share the Christmas spirit, of peace, hope and forgiveness. Unfortunately, the holiday season also signals the time of the year that we are at our most depravedly consumeristic and environmentally ignorant. We tend to give in to the craze of senseless buying, indulging in everything we don't need, and often, don't even want. Christmas symbolizes quite nicely the throw-away culture we live in.

Of course, there are ways around this. With a little creativity, there are always smarter, more socially and environmentally conscious alternatives to those little kitschy soaps and candles, the nth pair of black socks, or the DVD that you've already downloaded off Pirate Bay.

First, as an alternative to Christmas gifts, especially for those people who you don't know what to get, consider doing something charitable. I am not advocating giving money to just any organization in someone's honour though. A much more sustainable and direct method is to donate to an organization such as Kiva (www.kiva.org) or Grameen Foundation (grameenfoundation.org), which issues microloans all over the world. Basically, a donation of $25 or more will go to the organization, who will then use it, along with other loans, to provide economic opportunities to poor people around the world. The recipients of the loan are people who already have small businesses, or who have worthwhile and plausible business plans, without start up capital. Since they're loans, you can choose to receive the money back, or you can choose to redistribute it to the organization. And to think, you probably didn't even miss that $25, and now Pedro has grown ten times as much coffee as he had this time last year!

Another great gift idea is going vintage. There are a lot of amazing finds at antique markets and flea markets, and as the old adage goes, one person's garbage is another person's treasure. Used book stores often have an endless supply of great gift items, ranging from novels to cookbooks to sheet music and CDs. If you need something unique or quirky, you might be well positioned to find it at an auction, antique market, or thrift store. Just keep away from the ones with armpit stains or other nameless imperfections that may be awkward to explain to someone.

Making your own gifts is the best Christmas present. They're often extremely thoughtful, and they show the time and energy that you have put into the gifts you're giving. You can make things as simple as handmade cards and pastries, to scarves, clothing, paintings, or home furnishings. Check out www.instructables.com for some great step-by-step how-to guides.

Give the gift of learning. Enrol in a class with a loved one as a Christmas present, or if you have a special skill or talent, invite your friends to a workshop, put on by you. You can provide the supplies needed, and it's a fun and thoughtful way to spend a day after Christmas. You could also cook an extra special meal, and have your guests come watch, or cook along with you.

As for doing your part for the environment, try to limit your transportation by carpooling to your out-of-town destination, or take the bus instead of driving on your own. I think Christmas is the one time of year that it's almost completely necessary to use a vehicle, but if you're feeling really brave, I guess you could hook a wagon up to your bike, or a sled to your waist if you're snowshoeing to Christmas dinner.

As for Christmas trees, real trees are the way to go. Real Christmas trees are planted, grown, and harvested for this exact purpose, and trees are a renewable resource. After Christmas of course, they are biodegradable and generally free of harmful chemicals that could leach into the ground. Often, trees don't go to landfills, but are used for landscaping or processed for use in industry. Tree farms protect soil from degradation and offer a habitat to wildlife. On the downside, once harvested, the wildlife no longer have this ecosystem in place, and the soil may have to recover from the uprooting. It is claimed that for every tree that is harvested, 2-3 seedlings are replanted. And let's face it, the more trees in the world, despite how long they are left growing for, are a positive and effective tool for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

For your wrapping needs, buy paper that is recycled and recyclable. Or better yet, use all those completely useless junk mail Christmas flyers in your mailbox to wrap gifts. Another alternative is to buy or sew your own cloth bags. Then your loved ones can reuse them throughout the coming year for their groceries. Reusable Christmas gift bags are a good alternative as well. Save them for next Christmas - it's okay to regift if it's for a good cause! You can also reuse things like cereal boxes, tissue boxes, or boxes from other purchases. Just decorate it with some paint or markers, and it'll be a special unique touch.

Green, or Eco stores, are popping up everywhere, offering almost any item under the sun, made in an environmentally low-impact way. Consider buying organic cotton or bamboo clothing, or purchasing organic body washes and lotions for friends. You can even buy ecologically friendly technology, such as eco cell phone chargers, reusable batteries. goodcleantech.com has great ideas for solar-powered and eco-friendly technology.

 The energy used in lighting all those Christmas lights can get extreme. If you need to put up Christmas lights, use a timer so you can control how long they stay on. Otherwise, using beeswax candles can create a very authentic and nostalgic ambience for your Christmas celebrations. Use LED lights for decorating the tree, and again, using real trees for wreaths and garland is a better alternative than synthetics.
 
And, of course, it's inevitable that we'll receive a gift we may be less then thrilled about. Try and keep your receipts so your loved one can return or exchange it, rather than hang on to something useless. If that's impossible, donate it to a shelter or non-profit clothing store in the area.

Happy World AIDS Day!

December 1st is International World AIDS Day. Being in Melbourne right now, I hitched a train downtown to see if any events were happening in honour of the occasion. Unfortunately, nothing was happening, but I did manage to get a red ribbon to pin to my dress.


HIV/AIDS, according to the World Health Organization, infects approximately 33.5 million people worldwide. 2 million people die from HIV/AIDS a year. Though the number of new infections has decreased since 1990, the total number of infections worldwide is climbing, despite international efforts to slow and eventually stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been a beacon of hope, however, it is an extremely costly drug regime. And since the highest number of infections tend to be in the lowest income countries, ART is often nothing more than a pipe dream and a pharmaceutical's monopoly dream come true. The current best solution to solving the AIDS crisis lies not in treatment, but prevention. The only problem is that, despite HIV/AIDS being the leading infectious killer, it is still the most stigmatized major health issue in the world.

If we look at Africa specifically, HIV prevalance varies across the continent. However, in some places, the prevalence rates are something out of an apocalyptic horror movie. In Swaziland, 25% of adults are living with HIV/AIDS. Given the relatively small population of the country, it is not inconceivable that an entire country could potentially be wiped out by a single disease. Apart from HIV/AIDS being a physical killer, it is crucial to think of the cost to society to have so many adults living with the disease. An entire generation of young Africans are no longer able to work, to provide for their family, or to raise their children. In turn, this results in the children, especially the girls, having to quit school to tend to the family needs. This could include being hired maids, working the land, or in the most horrific of cases, working the streets.

Once a parent has died from AIDS, chances are the other parent is infected as well, and will also die. This creates the phenomenon of child-headed households, wherein children become parents and guardians to their even younger siblings. Again, this results in a dreary forecast for society. Not only are these children not in school, they are not given the proper nurturing and life skills needed to successfully function in society. This is a broad generalization, and surely, some orphans are able to eventually go to school and live 'normal' lives. But the truth remains that AIDS orphans often end up on the streets, urban peasants and beggars, or coping with an HIV infection as their parents' only legacy to them.

Morbid as all this may be, there is still hope. Many tribes across Africa who used to refuse condoms are now aware of the reality and devastating risks of HIV/AIDS. In a Maasai village I visited in 2008, the community was quite vocal about their need for condoms, whereas a year prior, they denied the existence of HIV/AIDS in their village. Another positive change has been the empowering of women all over the world, and specifically in Africa. Women are becoming more able to say 'no' to a partner if he isn't practising safe sex. While there is still so much rape, sexual abuse, and domineering rampant around the world, it is a slow progression, but it is nonetheless apparent.

We have much work to do in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention, and the battle is a very long and arduous one. But the key is awareness and the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS dialogue. If we can normalize the discussion of the disease in everyday life, we can eliminate the stigma surrounding it. If we can encourage people to talk about it, we can relay the sobering facts of the disease. It's up to every one of us to be an activist, to use our voices and our privilege to create awareness, to bring the discussion to the dinnertable, and to create lasting impact and positive change.