Environmental Action This Holiday Season

I find myself in an interesting world: one where comfort squash soup bubbles on the stove for dinner as Walmart commercials scream in the background about Black Friday. The Winter Solstice is near and the holidays are in full-force, and I dread that gut-level knot I feel when I see wrapping paper being shoved into trash bags. Doing environmental work on Star Island this year and hosting Climate Café conversations has got me thinking: How can I lead my life and my family gatherings with my own environmental knowledge and passions? What small steps can I take regardless of what the people around me choose to do, in a way that doesn’t feel so big and heavy?

And I keep hearing: Start small. Start here. Start at home. 

Here is what I am doing.

1. I composted food waste at our Thanksgiving dinner. As a Star Island compost mermaid (after many dirty, smelly days!), composting feels like a tangible step because it is easy for me and something that I deeply care about. According to a recent ReFED report, “14% of total annual U.S. methane emissions come from uneaten food.” ReFED also estimates that “316 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving.” I started introducing composting to my house by taking our compost bucket to the local collection center, and now we are getting a pick-up service! (See your local pick up services through Black Earth or Mr. Fox composting and free drop-off spots).
2. I am talking about the “why” for holidays at the dinner table. In the book The Art of Gathering and her Ted Talk, author and conflict resolution facilitator Priya Parker explains that “how we gather is how we live.” The “why” underlying all gatherings is deeply important. Holiday meals do not often acknowledge Indigenous history and the colonization baked into them. What land are we on, and what is the specific Indigenous history here? How does Thanksgiving play a role in narratives of colonization? And then: Given this history, how are we choosing to make this holiday meaningful for the context of our family? 
3. I am asking for less gifts and explaining why. Buying and receiving many gifts for the sake of politeness or unwrapping something does not make me feel connected to my family. Something that has helped this feeling is organizing a swap or secret Santa holidays where we do not buy everyone a gift, instead giving one gift. It also takes some social pressure off, and it is financially beneficial. And a lot less wrapping!
4. I am reducing my online shopping and using things already available. I prefer to buy gifts from local artists, or make homemade gifts such as a painting, poem, or printing a photo. Alternatively, my parents are thoughtful gift-givers in terms of experiences. For example, they set a date to go to dinner and a small concert together as a gift. My grandmother and I started a tradition of re-gifting items from her past, like earrings or a favorite book, and I get to learn her story behind them. And then use them in my life!
5. I am giving gifts wrapped in found fabric, compostable (uncoated) brown paper, and towels! I am interested in reducing new-plastic buying as much as possible, including shiny wrapping papers with that beautiful glitter, or rolls of tape, or those cute name tags. One of my friends joined another family’s Christmas day gathering where they exchanged hand-written letters as their gifts to each other. She said they even wrote letters for her, and it was the most special Christmas gathering she had experienced.

And… I will not be perfect in any of these things! 

Messiness is welcome. Holding myself to the level of “saving the earth” is not in my capacity. I like to think of it like this: A homemade bowl of any-old-soup with a side of burnt toast feels more doable and delicious than attempting an expensive, exquisite, five-course meal that takes too long to finish. A simple, often messy, and home-cooked start is perfect. Let’s start with something small (and mighty) this holiday season.

Jaedin Guldenstern is a devoted environmental steward, artist, and activist who can be contacted at jaedinguld@gmail.com.

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This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on November 29, 2024.