#6 Scaring with caring
It can be tough to balance festivals with the urgent need to reduce carbon. Festivals are the essence of fun and excess—it's our nature to celebrate by sharing more than we have. Dousing that spirit wouldn't lead us towards a happier, healthier world.
Halloween has seen an explosion in recent years—and with it, an explosion in throwaway. Costumes, buckets, decorations. All of it feeding the trade in fossil fuel, costing carbon in shipping and leading to more mountains of waste.
At the same time, it's a lot of fun, and we can't thrive without having a bit of fun.
Yes, we can do home made. Some great costumes are made of sticks. But let's be realistic, most of us can't do that.
So strike a balance
- Spare a second to think about what you're buying, where you're buying from. There are higher and lower impact choices.
- Don't throw the stuff away. Save them for the next year and build up the best Halloween collection on your street.
- Pumpkins are great. They're natural and don't need to be shipped around the world.
- Donate costumes. Charity shops are doing a great trade in them. Or trade, swap, pick up second hand. We can look pretty scary without leaving a mountain of waste behind.
Have a bit of fun
It may not be possible to make the perfect decision every time—celebrations like Halloween only come round once a year, so maybe it's OK to try a little bit, without trying too hard. Remember every percent change in the right direction is still a change. Once in a while, that 1% may be enough.
It's a long journey
The more we act, the more we share, the more we have a movement towards a healthier, safer, more prosperous future for us all.