Rethinking Christmas (only 70 days to go).

There is no question that Christmas is the most expensive, wasteful, and appallingly polluting, one day festival in the world.

It's annual 24 hr effect on the environment must be equivalent to several months at other times of the year.

The amount of shitty plastic, tape, string, and paper used must be horrendous, and in these more aware times we continue to fell trees and pump oil just to continue this ridiculous over indulgent tradition.

I have nothing against a mid-winter festival were we sing traditional songs, eat the best we can afford, and spend more time with our families, but the extent to which commercialisation has taken over is no less than shocking, and a disgrace; as well as doing unquestioned harm to the planet.

So, what should we all do to improve matters?

Hopefully people will now be more aware of the terrible plastic pollution around the world, and they will avoid buying those ghastly multi-coloured plastic toys, etc.

Every year, as we unwrap our gifts, we end-up with huge piles of torn printed Christmas wrapping paper; this is never considered as pollution, but of course it is, and it must be reduced.

Let's all buy just enough food for a pleasant Christmas lunch/dinner, and not morph into blind siege mentality at the very mention of festive eating. I still hear of people 'binning' the remains of their HUGE Turkeys after the big day; this horrifies me.

And on the question of expense, why don't we all spend sensibly, and refuse to go into debt just so little Johnny can have the latest X Box, or iPhone.

Most of all, let's enjoy the holiday season by singing carols, exchanging small gifts with loved ones, and eating 'reasonably' well; and NOT by leaving the planet on its knees.

We've done enough damage as it is!