Hut hut hike! It’s almost Super Bowl time, and for many o’ us, that means going to a party to watch “The Big Game”. All too often, this means a lot of trash and wasted energy. Make sure you don’t get penalized for roughing the Earth by following these helpful Super Bowl party hints.

Kick an Extra Point with Online Invitations!

Instead of throwing a desperate Hail Mary of paper invitations to people to your Super Bowl party, throw a quick shovel pass of an online invitation (much higher completion rate), through email or Facebook or what have you. This will cut down on paper waste, as well as speed up how soon they receive your invitation.

Don’t Let Your Environment get Sacked by a Blitz of Trash!

• Don’t use disposable plates/cups/forks/chop sticks. Serve people with reusable plates and cups.
• Recycle any bottles or cans that there be. Make sure people know about this, so they don’t just automatically toss their can into the trash.
• Decorate with reusable decorations. That way you can use them each year to bring joy to people, instead of having them sit in a landfill.

Choose First-String Food!

The Super Bowl is for all the marbles; don’t let the benchwarmer food into this game!

• Serve local food. Check your local farmer’s market or local food store.
• Avoid food with way too much packaging. Go for the food that’s naked and ready!
• If you want, serve vegetarian food. It takes a lot less energy to get a pound of vegetables than a pound of meat. Plus, it’s healthier!

Warning: Green Super Bowl Tips for Eco Pro-Bowlers

• Don’t watch the Super Bowl on an energy-sucking TV; listen to it on a low-watt radio, or better yet, just ask people the next day who won.
• Don’t buy any food. Instead, at halftime, go outside to forage in your yard/woods for any edible roots or grubs.
• Power of imagination. Set your brain lose, and just imagine the entire Super Bowl. Anything can happen! Another “wardrobe malfunction”! A crazy 4th quarter comeback! Streakers running all over the field! That player you hate gets injured!

Hopefully, this playbook of how to have a green Super Bowl party has got you fired up and ready to give 110%. Remember, when it comes to helping out the environment (and saving you some money), EcoJoes is ready to take the handoff and score a touchdown! (or else fumble miserably as the crowd boos)

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I got an email today tell me about some insanely ‘uge organic roses from Ecuador. Since they were organic and gigantic, I decided to check out. God dang they are huge. Here, just look at this picture:

The lady in the red shirt is obviously terrified, and rightfully so. Her red shirt, meant as a sign of solidarity with the red roses, has only provoked them. These are probably her last moments alive; the roses will soon be feeding.

Click right about HERE to go enter the free giant organic rose giveaway sweepstakes contest, just in time for good ol’ Valentines’ Day. But please, be careful around them.

BEWARE…

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That’s my excuse for not posting much of anything for awhile. Me and Tiff just got back from there, and had a grand old time. Uruguay was almost devoid of tourists, so we were usually the only Americans around. But that was great, since I got to practice my Spanish, and also it meant that it wasn’t all touristy with trinkets and such.

Perhaps later I shall write more on this exciting excursion. But for right now, I shall sit back con mi yerba mate and contemplate el mundo.

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Just last night me and me woman put up our Christmas tree. As I was hanging up the millionth ornament, I started thinking about Christmas in terms of environmental impact. Just think of all the packaging thrown away every year. All the trees cut down, screaming their silent tree screams that only Captain Planet and other eco-heroes can hear. As I started to silently weep, I clenched my fist with the determination that I would find a way to “greenify” this savage winter holiday.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree

• Most natural Christmas trees come from tree farms, so there is only temporary deforestation from their harvest. Plus, recent studies from my alma mater have shown that if Christmas tree farmers choose their pesticides wisely (or use organic methods), they can have a negligible environmental impact. Of course, once Christmas is done, most trees are just thrown out on the curb to be taken to the landfill.
• Plastic Christmas trees have a higher embodied energy; basically all of them are made from polyvinyl chloride. But they do last forever, so they can be reused all the way until the Earth finally blows up.
• I’d recommend looking around the inside of your house for a tree (real or fake) that you already have, and just decorating that.

Green Christmas Presents

• Skimp on the packaging. If you must wrap a present, do so by reusing some magazine or newspaper pages. ‘Tis the present that counts, not the packaging.
• Give non-material presents. Perhaps coupons for a massage, yard work, or the gift of friendship, if you’re really cheap.
• Make some food for them. “Wrap” it in tupperware or a metal tin that they can reuse.
• Give a green present. Perchance a low-flow shower head, a solar roll, or a nice compost bin.

Green Traveling During Christmas

• Carpool if you’re going long distances. This will cut your gas price, and give you some company on that long holiday drive.
• Ride a bike. Throw on your coat and hop on your bike if you’re just going a short distance.
• Sled or ski. If there is snow on the ground and you only have to go downhill, this is the tip for you.
• Ride a moped. Save money, use less gas, and spread holiday cheer as people laugh at with you.
• Hitchhike. Maybe Santa Claus will pick you up in his sleigh. What a story that’d be!

Don’t forget to save energy and money this winter by following these simple tips.

After thinking up these ideas, my eco-tears finally stopped, and I was able to resume hanging ornaments on our tree. Merry Christmas to everybody, and please give a hoot, don’t pollute.

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