 Thanksgiving Day is a special American holiday that is loaded with tradition. By practicing the five R's, you can make a difference this Thanksgiving.
Reduce...Reuse...Recycyle and help celebrate our environment
Use our eco friendly tips so that you can capture the Thanksgiving spirit. Make your holiday celebration special by celebrating our planet as well. An eco-friendly Thanksgiving will enrich your family’s holiday experience, because you will know that you have reduced your impact on the environment. And that’s something for which everyone can be thankful.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,Rethink and Refuse
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by preparing a menu and buying only as much as you need, and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled.
Carry reusable bags when you do your holiday shopping, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again.
Recycle paper, and all plastic, glass and containers. If you don’t already have a compost bin, use your Thanksgiving fruit and vegetable trimmings to start one. The compost will enrich the soil in your garden next spring.
Buy and Eat Locally Grown Organic Food
Buying only locally grown food is one good way to have an eco-friendly Thanksgiving. Locally, organic grown food is good for your table, your health and the environment. Locally grown food tastes better than food that has to be grown and packaged for maximum shelf life, and it requires less fuel to reach store shelves. Locally grown organic food also contributes more to your local economy, supporting local farmers as well as local merchants.
Make Your Meal All Organic
Using only organic food for your feast is another good eco-friendly Thanksgiving strategy. Organic fruits, vegetables and grains are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Buy an organic turkey, as it is produced without antibiotics and artificial hormones. The result is food that is better for your health and good for the environment. Organic farming also produces higher yields, increases soil fertility, prevents erosion, and is more cost-effective for farmers.
Celebrate at Home
Thanksgiving weekend is one of the heaviest for highway travel in the United States. This year, why not reduce global warming and improve air quality by lowering your auto emissions at the same time that you lower your family’s stress level? Skip the stressful holiday travel and celebrate an eco-friendly Green Thanksgiving at home.
Travel Smart
If you must go over the river and through the woods, there are still ways to have an eco-friendly Thanksgiving. If you drive, use less fuel and lower your emissions by making sure your car is in good working order and your tires are properly inflated. If possible, carpool to reduce the number of cars on the road and lower the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to air pollution and global warming.
If you fly, consider purchasing carbon credits to offset your portion of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by your flight. A typical long-haul flight produces nearly four tons of carbon dioxide.
Invite the Neighbors - Or organize a street party, where each family brings something for the table!
The original Thanksgiving was a neighborly affair. Having survived their first winter in America only through the generosity of the native people who lived nearby, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock celebrated a bountiful harvest with a three-day feast to give thanks to God and their Indian neighbors. Your neighbors probably haven’t saved your life, but chances are they have done things to make your life easier or more enjoyable. Inviting them to share your eco-friendly green Thanksgiving is an opportunity to say thank you, and also to reduce auto emissions by keeping more people off the road or ensuring shorter trips.
Plant a Tree
Trees absorb carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming—and give off oxygen in return. Planting one tree may not seem to matter much in the face of global climate change, but small things do matter. In one year, the average tree absorbs roughly 26 pounds of carbon dioxide and returns enough oxygen to supply a family of four.
Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Decorations - a great family activity
With a few simple supplies and a little imagination, you can make great eco-friendly Thanksgiving decorations and have a lot of fun in the process. Colored construction paper can be cut or folded into simple Pilgrim, turkey and harvest decorations. Later, the paper can be recycled.
Baker’s clay,can be shaped and moluded into holiday figures.
Cinnamon and Salt Dough
Keep the designs simple and not too thick, so they won't dry out - they can be painted and varnished.
Salt Dough
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Mix the dry ingredients then slowly add the water until you have a firm dough. Knead for 5 - 10 minutes. Bake decorations 165C (325F) depending on the thickness, can take up to 90 minutes.
Roll out the salt dough and cut gingerbread men in all diffferent sizes, bake slowly to dry out- if kept dry they last indefinitely. As they are quite light in colour, tint with a mix of PVA glue and Raw Sienna acrylic paint. You can sprinkle with aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. You can make squiggly lines with paint and hot glue bow ties. Cut holes in the raw dough to thread cord or cotton through for hangers, or glue these to the back when hardened.
 Cinnamon Dough
1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon or mixed spice
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup PVA glue
Mix all the ingredients until a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover with wrap, stand for 30 minutes. Roll and make shapes with Christmas cookie cutters. Put on a cooling rack covered with gauze and let dry, turning occasionally.
Make it a Spiritual Day
The Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving fled religious persecution in Europe to seek a better life in America. The Thanksgiving holiday was established to provide a national day of thanksgiving for all Americans. Even if you follow no particular religion, however, Thanksgiving is a good time to count your blessings, beginning with the many ways the natural environment sustains and enriches our lives. As part of your eco-friendly Thanksgiving, make time for prayer, meditation, reflection, or perhaps just a walk in the woods to contemplate and give thanks for the wonders of nature.
Say Thank You
Whatever else you do on Thanksgiving, make it a time to say thank you to the people in your life who matter most and, if possible, to spend time in their company. Life is short, it is the moments that count most, and many of the best moments in life are those spent with friends and family. If distance or circumstances prevent you from spending Thanksgiving with some of the people you love, call, email or write them a letter (on recycled paper) to tell them why they mean so much to you and they make your world a better place.
We wish you a Happy Green Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Dates 2007-2013
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thursday, November 28, 2013
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A Green Thanksgiving
