Greening your Holidays I

As the holidays quickly approach, it is good to keep in mind how to have a Green Christmas. One tip is to be organized and do any ordering and shipping you have to do early enough so you can avoid overnight shipping. Using ground transportion means less fuel use and pollution. In our harried society, it is easy to forget a birthday, anniversary or wait until the last minute to do your holiday shopping. Overnight shipping burns the most fossil fuels per item, while ground shipping tends to be six time more energy efficient than air. Because airplanes release their greenhouse gases way up in the atmosphere, they tend to do more damage than gases emitted at ground level, at least as far as global warming is concerned.

Using ground shipping instead of overnight shipping, will also green your wallet, since most companies charge a heft price for the service. Consider making it your New Year's Resolution to organize your purchasing and bill paying so that you give yourself enough time and can avoid using overnight services. You will not only be helping the environment, but yourself as well.