Christmas violates the Kyoto Protocol

[Vulcan]

Christmas is damaging the environment
17 December 2005  

SYDNEY: Christmas is damaging the environment, says a new report by the Australian Conservation Foundation.


The report titled "The Hidden Cost of Christmas" calculated the environmental impact of spending on books, clothes, alcohol, electrical appliances and lollies during the festive season.

Every dollar Australians spend on new clothes as gifts consumes 20 litres of water and requires 3.4 square metres of land in the manufacturing process, it said.

Last Christmas, Australians spent $A1.5 billion on clothes, which required more than 1.2 million acres of land to produce, it said.

Water that would approximately fill 42,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools was used in the production of Christmas drinks last December – most was used to grow barley for beer and grapes for wine.

"If your bank account is straining under the pressure of Christmas shopping, spare a thought for our environment," Don Henry, the foundation's executive director, said in a statement.

"It's paying for our Christmas presents with water, land, air and resources. These costs are hidden in the products we buy."

The report said that gifts like DVD players and coffee makers generated 780,000 tonnes of greenhouse pollution, even before they were unwrapped and used. A third was due to fuel consumption during production.

Even a box of $A30 chocolates or lollies this Christmas, will consume 20kg of natural materials and 940 litres of water.

"We can all tread more lightly on the earth this Christmas by eating, drinking and giving gifts in moderation, and by giving gifts with a low environmental cost, such as vouchers for services, tickets to entertainment, memberships to gyms, museums or sports clubs, and donations to charities," said Henry.

 

personally, I blame beetle.

[Skuzzy]

OMG!  Everyone dig a hole into the ground, jump in, and pull the dirt in behind you!!  Wait,...that would be environmentally bad too.  OMG!!!!

[Masherbrum]

Aussies designed and produce the ARB Bull bar to allow them to survive killing a Kangaroo, Wallaby, and what have you.  Now they "care"?

Karaya

[Vulcan]

I wonder what the CO2 emmissions are from Santa's Raindeer duriing an average Christmas night are?

[Meatwad]

Depends on what he feeds them.

If they eat mexican, then there will be a hazardous trail of methane gas around the globe


Feeds them peanuts, then the sound you will hear would NOT be santa and his reindeer landing on your roof. The sound would infact be turds chock full of peanuts landing on your roof (no billy, those arent cookies your eating....)

I cant think of any others, feel free to add more

[Pooh21]

Originally posted by Vulcan
".......... and by giving gifts with a low environmental cost, ..........and donations to charities," said Henry.

.

if someone gave me a present of saying my present was given to charity, I would bust their nose, and Henry's too.

[john9001]

i favor global warming, i don't like the cold weather.

[LePaul]

Did you guys see the lawsuit filed to change the protection status of the polar bear?  If notched up, their environment cant be touched.

Once again, we legislate via the courts.  Scientific data and discussion be damned.

[capt. apathy]

Originally posted by Pooh21
if someone gave me a present of saying my present was given to charity, I would bust their nose, and Henry's too.

I was thinking about doing that for 1 or 2 people on my list.

I'd just love to be able to see the expressions on their faces as they read-

"A generous donation has been made on your behalf to the Democratic National Committee"

[Rotax447]

Originally posted by LePaul
Did you guys see the lawsuit filed to change the protection status of the polar bear?  If notched up, their environment cant be touched.

Once again, we legislate via the courts.  Scientific data and discussion be damned.

That's because law is easier than science or engineering.  I have friends who are lawyers and judges.  We communicate just fine as long as it does not include calculus.  If it does, their eyes glaze over, and they tell me that is why they studied law.

[weaselsan]

We shouldn't worry about oil running out.....we have the largest coal reserves in the world.

[LePaul]

If we ever figure out how to process shale oil, we're set

[beet1e]

Originally posted by weaselsan
We shouldn't worry about oil running out.....we have the largest coal reserves in the world.

According to figures quoted by Nashwan, which I am inclined to believe, the US has known coal stocks of less than 300 billion tons, good for 245 years at current levels of consumption. However, if  coal had to replace oil, much more of it would be needed, in which case known stocks would only last about 60 years.

[SOB]

Only 60 years?  Why do I get the impression that a lot of you don't have much faith in the Human race's ability to innovate and advance technology.

[SOB]

Originally posted by capt. apathy
I was thinking about doing that for 1 or 2 people on my list.

I'd just love to be able to see the expressions on their faces as they read-

"A generous donation has been made on your behalf to the Democratic National Committee"

LOL, you are a bastard!