Enjoy a Green Valentine’s Day

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Matthew Speer 1 Comment

So, your significant other is environmentally conscious – and so are you. And Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

This is a golden opportunity for you. Or, more to the point, a green one.

Rather than do the usual gift of assorted chocolates in heart-shaped boxes or a card with a message someone else wrote, consider a gift that your significant other might actually care about and appreciate.

In another words, go green for Valentine’s Day.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few gift ideas to make it a green Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy a Green Valentine’s Day

Adopt a polar bear. Seriously, is there anything cooler than this? OK, so you don’t literally get a polar bear, but your symbolic adoption can help support the efforts by environmental groups who are trying to preserve the polar bear. This animal – the largest terrestrial carnivore – is losing hunting grounds to ice melting, part of the impact of global warming. A number of organizations provide this opportunity, including the World Wildlife Fund.

Plant a tree. This was one of the first, most popular Earth-friendly gifts, and it’s still around because it is a very, very good idea. Tree helps to fight climate changes as they process the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, releasing oxygen. The more trees, the better.

And if you plant a tree near your beloved’s house, you can save them on their energy bill by providing shade that cuts down on power costs. Additionally, if you and your spouse are working towards purchasing a new home, consider you can plant a “tree of love” that will grow with you and your family over time.

House plant, not roses. Roses might be the classic Valentine’s Day gift, but a house plant is not only better for the environment, it’s just plain cooler. Literally. House plants help take humidity out of the air, meaning less cooling costs during the summer. That’s good for the electric bill, and also very green as it cuts down on the amount of oil needed to burn to run air conditioning.

There’s this, too: Those roses are going to die fairly quickly. House plants, tended properly, can last a very long time.

Buy local and recycled. Whatever you get, buy it from a local merchant. If you get a card, make sure it’s made of recycled paper (paper is one of the highest areas of waste in almost every household).

If you decide to make clothes part of your gift, ensure it is made by a company that has made it onto Green America’s National Green Pages, which lists businesses that use organic materials and pay their workers a fair wage (as opposed to those who work in “sweat shops” outside the United States).

Donate to an Environmental Cause. Making a donation to a cause you both believe in is a good way to celebrate the holiday. There are many such options in the area of protecting the environment.

No matter which gift you choose, there are plenty of ways to make Valentine’s Day a celebration not only of your relationship, but of a cause you both believe in.