Month: December 2020

Holiday Sustainability

Should we throw out our Christmas trees for plastic ones? Or should the tradition itself be scrapped?

To carry on tradition in an ever-changing world, some people feel the urge or responsibility to adapt old traditions or dispose of them altogether. For example, those who celebrate Christmas traditions might wonder what kind of tree to purchase for the holidays. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it depends on the context and circumstances. The overall lifecycle of your tree, be it real or plastic, is what actually influences how environmentally friendly it is, and there are benefits to either kind of tree. Read more about the fascinating conversation surrounding Christmas trees here!

To editorialize for a moment, there is not much most individuals can do to impact the overall environment (either positively or negatively). In the meanwhile, we must live and enjoy living when we can — especially in difficult times. Happy holidays everyone!

If you want to burn money, not fossil fuels …

'Shut up and take my money' meme.
For some, donating is less a financial issue and more the issue of finding an effective cause.

If you or anyone you know has ever been interested in finding a climate change cause to donate to, it can be challenging to determine which organizations will be the most effective. A team of economists and climate scientists created Giving Green, a website which advises people on how to most effectively maximize their climate giving, to help solve this problem.

The goal of Giving Green is to recommend organizations where the positive environmental outcome can be maximized per dollar donated. Among other organizations, they recommend Tradewater, a nonprofit which sequesters and destroys environmentally harmful chemical refrigerants chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Giving Green has had to meet many challenges – from applying statistical techniques and empirical evidence to determine which charities to recommend, while remaining nonpartisan on an extremely politicized issue in order to retain their non-profit status. Read more about Giving Green here!