Holiday shopping online could save more than time. Researchers say it might also help save the planet.
A holiday-themed study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory suggests that even a modest number of shopping trips to the mall can create a large volume of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles – the so-called greenhouse gases linked to global warming in the atmosphere.
“Using several assumptions and data from several authoritative sources, we can reasonably estimate that nearly a half-billion kilograms of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere by shopping online,” environmental researcher Jesse Miller said Thursday.
That’s roughly 500,000 metric tons, according to the scientist at the Department of Energy research complex.
Wow, a way to save the planet and not even get out of your jammies! I’m all over that! 😉
Hmmm…I can travel five miles to the local Virginia mall or order my items from California and have them shipped to me.
I’m not so sure that we have a net reduction in green-house gasses.
(And that’s assuming that I’m ordering everything from the same online store, so as to avoid deliveries from CA, MA, NC, and FL.)
I did all of my Christmas shopping online this year with the exception of some stocking stuffers for my wife in a town five miles from here with all four stores right next to each other. Most stress-free shopping Christmas I’ve ever spent! And now I find I’m green to boot! Maybe Al Gore will send me a Christmas Card.
Ok, it also reduces the number of employees hired, as there is no need for an existing store, only a warehouse.
Yet, there still has to be a fleet of trucks bringing items TO that warehouse, a fleet of trucks carrying them out to the distribution facilities, a fleet of planes to deliver them to your city, and a fleet of trucks to bring them to your doorstep.
By the way, I’m still waiting for my on-line purcheses (order now to ensure delivery before Dec. 24) to come. The purchases my kids made at Wal-Mart and Target are already wrapped!
allow me to plug Sierra Trading Post (www.sierratradingpost.com), which offers high quality clothing at extremely discounted prices. It is also an inherently Christian organization: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/founding_story.html
Chris,
I had heard of Sierra Trading Post, but didn’t know it was a Christian-run organization!
Thanks for the info!
Jim
Probably too late now, but:
Another online organization is Creative Irish Gifts at ShopIrish.com, a portion of the proceeds go to the Irish Children’s Fund:
Creative Irish Gifts supports the activities of the Irish Children’s Fund, Inc. (ICF), a not-for-profit organization that fosters understanding between Protestant and Catholic youngsters in the troubled areas of Belfast. Both non-political and interdenominational, the ICF has enriched the lives of 3,000 children since its founding in 1982.
Peace!
Jim E. <><
I meant to type:
Another worth-while online organization that helps people as opposed to just providing goods easier is ….