Green the Holidays: Christmas Trees And More

Which one is fake?

These days, fake trees look just like the real ones. With a strategically placed air freshener, they can smell real too!

An environmental consulting firm in Montreal performed a life-cycle analysis, and here are some of their main points:

Fake
Lifetime: Ideally, forever. The typical faux tree lasts 6 years. These trees can be recycled, but there aren't really any facilities that do it.
Production: Faux trees require a large amount of energy and materials to produce. The average tree is shipped from China and made mostly of PVC plastic-- production of which leads to the release of toxic chemicals.
Cost: $100-$2,000
Other Considerations: If this is really what you want, buy a used tree. Try Freecycle or Craiglist!


Real
Lifetime: 1 season. These can be composted, used as firewood, made into wood chips, etc.
Production: Throughout their lifetime, these trees are sequestering CO2. However, depending on how they are grown, they require water, nutrients, and pesticides. Annual transportation has associated environmental costs as well.
Cost: $20-$80/year
Other Considerations: If this is really what you want, buy locally. If you aren't buying a used artificial tree, then natural is the better option.


Solutions for Hippies
Plant a pine outside your house and decorate it every year. A living tree requires no transportation, and will sequester CO2. It's festive AND environmentally friendly! You could even make your own tree from stuff recycled materials.


Other ways to green your Christmas*:
*Really look at this website. It's comprehensive and well done. The holidays can be so wasteful that there are a million ways you can make it better!

A penguin light bulb ornament, LED lights, and newspaper wrapping

Gifts:
- Wrap presents in old newspaper/magazines and reuse gift bags. Reusable containers like tins and Tupperware are other packing options.
- Give green presents like compost bins, garden seeds/bulbs, and CSA subscriptions.
- Give experiences. Buy someone lessons in their favorite activity or tickets to a show.
- Give homemade gifts. Recipes, food, cookies (mmm), and old photos make great gifts.
- Try the gift of giving. Plant a tree, adopt a bear, feed a child, or fund a cause in their name.
- Send holiday cards electronically.

Decorations:
- Buy your tree locally.
- Use LED Christmas lights. They don't get as hot and use less energy. Lighting timers can also save energy by remembering to turn off the lights when you don't.
- Make decorations out of recycled material. Make use of pine cones, old clothes/accessories, and sentimental items. You can also buy decorations off Craigslist or a used store like Goodwill.

Happy Holidays!

Sidenote: Good thing California voted down Prop 23. Last Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved carbon cap-and-trade regulations. The program, which will begin in 2012, is more strict than RGGI's voluntary cap-and-trade program in the Northeast. California's policy includes all major emitting industries, not just the power sector. 

Flooded Sidewalks, Flooded Cities. Is There a Way Out?

Have you ever successfully navigated a puddle-filled sidewalk only to look up and see the impenetrable lake ahead? You should have known there was no hope. Here's looking to the future.
In September, the Illinois EPA announced its implementation of measures to reduce storm water runoff. It's called the Green Infrastructure Grant program, which has $5 million dollars from the US EPA already in its pocket.

There are a large number of technologies supported by the new program. But, ever since I was introduced to  permeable pavement (PP) technology at the EPA P3 (people planet prosperity) Expo last spring, it has been my favorite. They are exactly what they sound like. Unlike typical pavements, these allow water to seep through and into the ground below.

IL EPA and local officials showcasing semi-permeable block pavement (Sept. 16th, 2010)

Types (detailed information):

• Block Pavers (pictured): These are impermeable (often concrete) blocks that are interlocked/spaced in a way that allows water to penetrate the soil below. Some brands include Aquaterra, UNI Eco-Stone, SF-RIMA, Turfstone, and Hastings Checkerblock. 
• Grid Pavers: These are the weak cousins of block pavers. They are typically made of plastic and can be filled with grass, gravel, or soil. Examples include Turfgard, Netpave, Gravelpave, Grasspave, Tufftrack, and Geoblock.
• Permeable Asphalt/Concrete: These are the originals without finer particles in the mix. The absence of these particles leaves voids through which water can flow. Check out the design below. 

Permeable asphalt design

Here are some pros and cons of permeable pavement. Keep in mind, all designs have different capabilities.

PROS:

• limit flooding
• reduce chemical runoff, which harms lakes/rivers/streams
• allows water to seep back into the water table, replenishing aquifers

Before and 10 years after permeable pavement installation at Brown University (2004)

CONS:

• may be vulnerable to ice damage, called frost heave, in freezing temperatures. However, there have been pavements designed to resist it.
• can't handle heavy loads (like trucks) or large amounts of traffic (busy roads).
• may require a little maintenance. Some types of permeable pavement are prone to get small rocks stuck in the pores. Occasionally, these may need to be cleaned via street sweeping or vacuuming.
• cost more.

Because of current performance specs, permeable pavement is limited to areas like sidewalks, walking paths, bike trails, parking lots, low traffic side roads, driveways, etc. Hopefully, in the future, design breakthroughs will allow permeable pavements to be used more widely in the world. Perhaps one day, they will answer to urban flooding like that in India.