Green Purse Alerts
In This Issue
Sign Up
Quick Links
organic christmas tree
Green Purse Alerts! subscribers have been asking where they can find organic Christmas trees. I get mine from a neighbor, Mike Tabor, who grows them on his Licking Creek Bend Farm in Pennsylvania and sells them in the 'hood and at farmers markets in Washington, D.C.

Where can you find yours? · Try the Internet: Search "Organic Christmas Trees in " and fill in the name of your state or county.

· Search Green Promise. This website lists organic Christmas tree growers in several states.

· Buy local. Even if you can't find a pesticide- free grower, you may find a local one. Most Christmas trees come from Oregon or North Carolina; if you can get a tree that's grown closer to home, you'll save energy, help reduce climate change, and minimize the extra pesticides that are sometimes applied before trees are shipped long distances.

· The Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers in Oregon is raising Christmas trees this year according to new environmental standards to reduce pesticide use and conserve soil and water. Look for the hanging tag that certifies a particular tree and grower's environmentally-friendly status.

Don't Forget to Recycle!

Get some great tips on recycling your Christmas tree from Iowa State University.

What about artificial trees?

· When Swedish researchers compared a locally grown, live cut tree to a full-size plastic tree, they found that the real tree used about a fifth of the energy (assuming that the plastic tree would be used for ten years).

· Most artificial trees are made from environmentally toxic PVC.

· A single acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to support 18 people, while absorbing carbon dioxide.

If you do buy an artificial tree, plan to reuse it for many years. If you have an artificial tree you want to replace, donate it to a community center, nonprofit organization or other charity that can continue to use it.

Why not buy a live tree and plant it after Christmas?

I have done this with great success. The major disadvantage is that you can only keep the tree in the house for about a week before it needs to get in the ground. Other tips:

· Dig the hole for the root ball now, before the ground freezes.

· Buy a tree that is big enough to enjoy for Christmas, but light enough that you can easily move from the house to your yard.

· Keep the root ball watered until you get the tree planted, then continue to water as you would any newly planted tree.

For more holiday tips, visit BigGreenPurse .com.
LED holiday lights
Brighten up your holidays this year with LEDs, "light emitting diodes" that are just as cheerful as mini- incandescents but up to 80% more energy- efficient.

A string of 300 mini's cost on average $13.12 to operate; LEDs use so little energy, 300 of them will only cost $1.25 to power up.

Available at:

· most hardware stores
· Brookstone ($19.95/strand) in soft white or multi-colors
· Forever Bright LED Lights as icicle lights, snowflakes and strands ($13.95 - $26.95 strand)

What about candles? We have also lit up our tree using real candles and candle holders that clip on to individual branches (this works best on a fir or other short-needled tree with individual, rather than clumping, branches). The effect of candles burning on a live tree is absolutely magical (but keep a fire extinguisher or a couple of pails of water handy just in case).
*************************************************

You can find more environmentally- friendly shopping ideas at the Shop Green Here pages of www.biggreenpurse.com

By the way, if you want to pass this information along to a friend, don't use the forward function of your e-mail system. Instead, click on the Forward button right below my signature.

***********************************

Talk to you again soon,

 Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

Email Marketing by