These resources are extracted from farms, forests, fisheries, mines and grasslands, all of which are essential to the health of the planet - and to the health of human beings. Once a season of genuine kindness and spirituality for many diverse cultures, the holiday season has in many respects become an increasingly commercial event. They were created to be a consumer season. Accompanied by a relentless advertising blitz, the holiday season appears to be a gift-giving, materialistic frenzy. But there is an alternative vision for the holidays.
High spirits can replace high consumption.
Environmentally responsible gifts can be substituted for frivolous and wasteful products. With enough creativity, there are no limits to the ways we can effectively and gainfully minimize consumption and reduce our negative impacts on the environment. The green holiday gathering is best kept simple and creative. Raising livestock requires large amounts of land and is very inefficient. It takes 16 pounds of grain, for example, to produce just one pound of beef.