Going Green (And Red) This Christmas!

Today, I wrapped a bunch of my Christmas presents using my family's favorite wrapping paper, newspaper. My family always keeps it super conservative when we wrap our gifts to each other: no shiny, shimmery wrapping paper, no festive bow, no creative tag. We figure, all that stuff can get super expensive, and there is really no point anyway, considering we rip it to shreds when we bust open our presents.

I do understand, however, that many people feel that wrapping paper is a huge part of Christmas. I mean many folks say the best part about the gift is the anticipation and the unwrapping of it, especially for kids.

But we should really consider how all this paper is hurting our environment and our trees. Here are some great statistics, courtesy of my "go green" sister, who of course sent me an email sharing these numbers:

---As much as half of the 85 million tons of paper products Americans consume every year goes toward packaging, wrapping, and decorating goods.

---Wrapping paper and shopping bags alone account for about 4 million tons of trash annually in the United States.
---If every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields!

These statistics really made me think, and honestly, my first thought was of the Giant Coastal Redwood trees that John Steinbeck mentions in his travelogue, Travels with Charley. He describes some MAGNIFICENT trees. So here are some of my own statistics on the Coastal Redwoods. Kelsey, I hope I make you proud:

---California’s coast redwoods can grow more than 320 feet high (about as tall as a 30-story building), with trunks more than 24 feet in diameter at breast-height, and can live for more than 2,000 years.
---Many species live their entire lives in the redwood canopy, including worms, salamanders and plants such as Sitka spruce, ferns and huckleberry.
---However, less than 5 percent of the original forest remains today. Of the original 2 million acres of ancient coast redwood forest, approximately 95% has been logged.

Now, if the first set of statistics didn't make you think a little, how about these. Trust me, I feel like "Going Green" a heck of a lot more when I think about possibly killing a 2,000 year old tree. Don't you? I mean talk about conserving history...

This photo, statistics, and more information can be found at http://www.savetheredwoods.org/. Check it out!