"Greening the holidays" began as a grass-roots movement, but it practically has turned into an industry.
Hundreds of media stories, products and Web sites promise to help you reduce the environmental impact of the holidays. Many of the same old tips just keep getting recycled, resulting in green-holidays overload.
But there's a reason this topic gets so much attention. Many of us yearn for healthier, more meaningful, less expensive and less wasteful holidays. Thankfully, local resources for green holidays keep rising to the occasion with fresh new ideas.
Because meals and parties play such an integral role in the holidays, today we'll focus on green-holiday entertaining.
Q: Since Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, why don't we start there?
A: Greening the traditional Thanksgiving feast makes it even more delicious. Locally produced foods, including more than 20 fresh vegetables now in season, have lower transportation impacts and often are grown using sustainable practices.
Some farmers-market veggies
such as carrots taste so much better than regular supermarket vegetables that your dinner guests may be amazed
.
Byline: Tom Watson; Special to The Seattle Times
Gardening Frost Chart for United States
Dates given are normal averages for a light freeze (32°F); local weather and topography may cause considerable variations. The possibility of frost occurring after the spring dates and before the fall dates is 50 percent. The classification of freezing temperatures is usually based on their effect on plants, with the following commonly accepted categories:
Light freeze:
29°F to 32°F—tender plants killed, with little destructive effect on other vegetation.
Moderate freeze:
25°F to 28°F—widely destructive effect on most vegetation, with heavy damage to fruit blossoms and tender and semi-hardy plants.
Severe freeze:
24°F and colder—damage to most plants.
| * Frosts do not occur every year. Source: Courtesy of National Climatic Center |
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