Green Options » hanukkah

Low Impact Living: Thoughts on a Green Chanukah

Low Impact Living — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:27:52 +0000

Chanukah starts Sunday December 21 this year– just a week from today. Just as we encourage everyone to incorporate eco-smart ideas and green gifts into their Christmas plans, we also want to share some thoughts on how to have a Green Chanukah this year.

First, starting with the menorah, it’s always a great idea to use natural beeswax or soy candles. Traditional paraffin candles are made from petroleum. Or you can go the traditional route and use an olive-oil-burning menorah. Very natural indeed!

And using the menorah allows you to turn off the lights, save power, and cut your carbon footprint while you enjoy the light of the candles. Indeed the origin of the festival of lights in rooted in resource conservation— we can all learn a great deal by reflecting on the message of making one night’s oil last for eight days!

Should you need a new menorah, may we suggest this gorgeous one made of recycled glass? It is stunning and will surely become a family heirloom. This piece is hand crafted by artist Jacques Rivard. Or if this one is a bit much for your tastes, you can opt to make your own from logs, stones and more found objects… let creativity and reuse be your guides! Here’s a link to a blog with many excellent ideas for how to create special, eco-friendly Chanukah menorahs and other decorations.

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Five Green Holiday Gifts that Keep on Giving

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:56:11 +0000

This post was originally published at Intent.com on Monday, December 15, 2008.

The winter holidays are almost upon us, and whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or the holiday(s) of another tradition, you may still be stumped for gifts to give this year… especially gifts that fit your own (and the recipients’) values.

For the past few years, I’ve moved away from buying “stuff” as much as possible, and focused on giving the gift of giving (say that three times fast!). That is, I look for gifts that contribute to larger causes. After writing about ‘TisBest gift cards a couple of weeks ago, I started brainstorming on other good “gifts that keep on giving” for the “treehugger” on your list.

Adopt an Animal: This has become my mainstay for my neice and nephews. We don’t get them a pet; rather, we make a donation to the Missouri Humane Society’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch “Barn Buddy” program. You can check with your local Humane Society or ASPCA chapter for similar programs. If wildlife is more your thing, Defenders of Wildlife has “adoption” gifts featuring wolves, penuins, polar bears, and other animals.

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Feel Good Christmas and Hanukkah Gifts

Lucille Chi — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:10:50 +0000

This season on Feel Good Style, we’ve spent some time looking for the perfect holiday gifts. Here, I’ve selected several options from the archives to consider when shopping this month:

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The Gift Card that (Literally) Keeps on Giving: TisBest

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:19:17 +0000

So, I got the inevitable question from my wife this morning: “What do you want for Christmas?” My inevitable answer: “I don’t know.” As this game plays out over the next few weeks, my answers will change: “nothing” is next, something completey unsexy but totally useful will follow (she hates those), and, finally, I’ll say “Why not just make a donation in my name.”

But, I might mix it up this year: “How about a TisBest gift card?”

I heard about these cards just over a week ago, and love the concept: a gift card for charitable donations. According to their press materials, TisBest is

…a Seattle-based company that offers tax-deductible charity gift cards online in amounts from $10 to $5,000. Charity gift card recipients then choose to donate the funds on their gift card to one of 250 carefully selected charities organized into categories as diverse as: the environment, health, children, education, arts and culture and women’s issues.

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