The Green Life

From Turkey Day to Gentle Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just a day away, eaters everywhere are getting ready for the biggest food day of the year. Food is so important to Thanksgiving that the holiday has come to be known to many simply as Turkey Day. But with more people choosing to abstain from meat, other options are on the rise.

A movement called Gentle Thanksgiving is encouraging families, friends, and communities to celebrate the holiday with meat-free alternatives such as homemade seasonal dishes for those who love to cook and store-bought fare for the less culinary inclined. There are also related events taking place around the country.

We know for sure that one turkey is breathing easier this Thanksgiving, as President Obama pardons it, as is White House tradition. Not satisfied with the symbolism, though, some people are urging the Obamas to pardon all turkeys bound for the dinner table.

--Kyle Boelte

Bike Fashion Hits the Runway

If you've read our post on becoming a bike commuter or our tips for female cyclists, you're got plenty of practical knowledge about how to incorporate cycling into your daily life. But bikes can be more than just an ecofriendly form of transportation--the two-wheeled wonders are rapidly becoming a must-have fashion accessory and clothing designers have taken notice. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, cyclists need clothing that "moves with them when they ride, protects them from the elements, and doesn't get caught in any of their machine's moving parts."

Beyond those basic requirements, bike messengers and road bikers have always sported signature styles, but now the fashion industry is embracing bike culture too. In U.S. cites like New York, Portland, San Francisco, and even Salt Lake City, models are pedaling or pushing bikes onto the runway to compliment their hip, bike-centric clothing.

Green Your Holiday Meals: Decorate Smart

Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any of the other upcoming winter holidays? This week’s tips will help you be environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

Tip #2: Think Through the Decor

If you’re shopping for table settings for the big meal, look for organic, reusable linens and cloth napkins. As for the centerpiece, try to go with one that’s nondisposable or edible – such as a cornucopia filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables – instead of flowers. Did you know that around 80 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from Colombia and Ecuador and contain 50 percent more pesticides than is legal to have on edibles? Just some food for thought.

Tell us: How do you green your holiday decor?

The Sierra Club's Holiday Survival Guide

Thanksgiving is just days away, and that means lots of food, holiday traditions, and conversations with family members you haven’t seen in awhile. It’s a special time of the year, a time to think about what's important to you and what you're thankful for. But it’s also a time when we tend to butt heads with some of our extended family – you know, the ones who think we’re crazy for composting and driving a Prius.

Don't worry about making it through dinner, though. We’ve put together a handy Holiday Survival Guide that provides answers to common questions that environmentalists get asked during holiday dinners.

Have an uncle who thinks environmentalists are socialists? No problem. A cousin who doesn’t quite understand climate change? We’ve got you covered. How about an aunt who thinks coal is so cool that she actually likes getting it in her stocking? Yep, we got that one, too.

After you read the guide, head over to the Holiday Survival Support Group on Climate Crossroads to share your stories and tips.

You can also share the survival guide with your friends and family by sending them a Sierra Club Holiday e-card.

--Kyle Boelte

Green Your Holiday Meals: Go Organic

Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or another winter event? This week’s tips will help you be environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

Tip #1: Opt For Organic

We know that organic foods are better for our bodies, but did you know that they’re significantly better for the planet too? Since organic farmers don't use toxins on their crops, they prevent chemicals from contaminating our soil and water, and from harming wildlife. It doesn’t just need to be just the turkey or ham that’s organic; it can be the wine, too, or the vegetables in the side dishes. An added plus: organic foods taste better!

Tip #2: Think Through the Decor

Tip #3: All Those Leftovers!

Tell us: What organic products do you buy?

Tomorrow is National Adoption Day

Some say that the decision to have children is the most important environmental choice we make. Even though globally we’re having fewer children now than 50 or 100 years ago, we’re at about 6.8 billion people and set to pass 9 billion by 2050, assuming the trend of fewer babies continues.

If you're planning a family but are worried about our burgeoning numbers, you might want to think about adopting a child instead of having one the biological way. Tomorrow, Nov. 21, is National Adoption Day. Here in the U.S. and around the world, millions of babies and children are orphaned or abandoned; others are waiting in foster care for a permanent family. They all deserve happy, loving homes.

Green Your Thanksgiving: Want Not, Waste Not

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #4: Streamline Your Meal

Most people expect to be well-fed on Thanksgiving, but you can reduce waste by considering portion size and guests' personal tastes. If no one actually likes mincemeat pie, don't make it just to satisfy tradition. Fill the bigger platters with local vegetables and serve more carbon-intensive food in a small dish with a small spoon to encourage dainty portions. Keep waste out of the landfill by sending leftovers home with guests and composting food scraps.

Share your tips: How do you reduce food waste during Thanksgiving?

Green Your Thanksgiving: Gratitude

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #3: Appreciate the Natural World

Thanksgiving traditions vary, but most celebrations include some form of appreciation for the year's blessings. When expressing gratitude, take note of nature's gifts. You may feel thankful for a beautiful sunrise, a bountiful harvest, clean water, or colorful autumn leaves. By nurturing your connection with the planet, you will energize your environmental activism.

Share your tips: What do you appreciate about the natural world?

Green Your Thanksgiving: Rethink the Turkey

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #2: Buy a Heritage Bird or Go Meatless

Want to celebrate "Turkey Day" without supporting environmentally destructive factory farms? You can help preserve species diversity by purchasing a free-range heritage turkey from a local farm. If meat isn't a must-have, consider skipping the bird altogether and building a hearty meal around vegetarian dishes such as autumn tempeh salad or butternut squash enchiladas.

Share your tips: What is your favorite turkey substitute?

Green Your Thanksgiving: Local Foods

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #1: Try Regional Recipes

Traditional Thanksgiving meals tend to favor fall produce, so it's a great time to focus on locally grown fruits and veggies. Consider adapting time-honored recipes to reflect your region's growing season and history. For a fun challenge, plan either one dish or the entire meal with ingredients grown or produced within 100 miles of your home. Check out the Daily Green's 100-mile Thanksgiving meal plans for five different U.S. cities to find examples of creative, local solutions. 

Tip #2 Buy a Heritage Bird or Go Meatless

Tip #3 Appreciate the Natural World

Tip #4 Streamline Your Meal

Share your tips: Do you make a Thanksgiving dish that's unique to your region?