Green Holidays: Getting Techie

Green Christmas Trees
Though the use of pesticides on Christmas trees has declined by 50 percent over the last decade, many of the firs, pines, and blue spruces that traditionally host ornaments are still sprayed annually. Look for trees certified organic by the Department of Agriculture, or grown on farms that are members of Certified Naturally Grown, a 500-member strong organization that supports small farms who can't pay the DoA's licensing fee; both of these designations mark trees that were grown using sustainable methods (like erosion control) and without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Love Miles
"Love Miles" is the term environmental author George Monbiot coined to refer to the distance you'll fly to be with your family and friends—for your sister's wedding, maybe, or Christmas with Grandma. The problem, as he puts it, is that those miles have the same carbon footprint as the miles you travel for business or vacation, so it's unethical to go—and also unethical to stay home. He advises saving all your carbon use for these trips—no more tropical holidays, unless of course Grandma lives in Maui—and limiting your travel.

How do LED lights work?
Instead of creating light through the traditional heating of filaments, LEDs (or light emitting diodes) allow electricity to stimulate a chemical compound, which then gives off light. While regular lights use 110, 120, or 240vac power lines, LEDs require as little as 12vDC; using this fraction of the voltage that other lights draw means lower energy bills and less electricity waste.