Green Christmas: Give your time

Fossil fuels and rainforests aside, time is always a precious resource, especially as the calendar year slips away. That makes giving your time to others that much richer a gift.

An easy way is to give your time is through homemade “gift certificates for services that can be rendered,” said Mark Haim of Peacework’s Center for Sustainable Living. “From baby-sitting, to a massage, to a home-cooked meal.” That way, Haim said, people will be minimizing their environmental impact (by not buying more stuff) and “in the process, having better and stronger personal connections with our families and loved ones.”

Another way to give your time over the holidays is to share it with those in need.

“It’s always great for people to volunteer over the holiday season,” Haim said. “Go to a homeless shelter and help feed the homeless for the holidays.” Bring friends or family to share in the experience.