(Don't) Have Yourself a Hippie Christmas
Christmas is damaging the environment, says a new report by Hippies Interested in Getting High (HIGH). The report titled "Like, The Hidden Cost of Christmas" calculated the environmental impact of spending on books, clothes, alcohol, electrical appliances and lollies during the festive season. According to HIGH, every dollar spent on new clothes as gifts consumes 20 liters (four gallons) of water and requires 3.4 square meters (37 sq. feet) of land in the manufacturing process, it said.

Water that would approximately fill 42,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools was used in the production of Christmas drinks last December for Australians alone -- most was used to grow barley for beer and grapes for wine.

"If your bank account is straining under the pressure of Christmas shopping, spare a thought for our environment," Hippie Don Henry, the foundation's executive director. "It's paying for our Christmas presents with water, land, air and resources. These costs are hidden in the products we buy." The report said that gifts like DVD players and coffee makers generated 780,000 tons of greenhouse pollution, even before they were unwrapped and used. A third was due to fuel consumption during production. Even a box of $30 chocolates this Christmas, will consume 20kg (44 pounds) of natural materials and 940 liters (207 gallons) of water.

"We can all tread more lightly on the earth this Christmas by eating, drinking and giving gifts in moderation, and by giving gifts with a low environmental cost, such as reefer, joints, bongs, bowls, rolling papers, and seeds," said Henry.
- nostradamusfunkadelic, 9:28 AM | |