Christmas's Carbon Emissions

Author: Amruta Holavanahalli

Date: January 26th, 2022

As Christmas comes to an end, we can reflect on the joy and spirit that the holidays brought to us. In Philadelphia, we see traditional Christmas lights from the bustling streets of Center City to the suburbs of the Northeast. However, we fail to acknowledge the carbon footprint that Christmas lights left on the earth. With so much attention placed on Christmas, we don't realize how much it hurts the environment.

According to a Forbes study, 90% of American households celebrate Christmas, which means we use 3.5 billion kWh of energy just on Christmas lights. Also, depending on the household, some people don’t even remove their Christmas lights until a month after they’re put up. An energy company, Mr. Electric, claims that most households in America “keep their lights up for weeks, even months, after December 25th.” Sometimes the reasons range from keeping the festivity alive to not making time for it, but at what cost?

Aside from wasting money, the carbon emissions produced by these traditional Christmas lights are actively hurting our atmosphere. “The amount of carbon dioxide generated by Christmas lights each year could power 15,500 hot air balloons” expresses the Energy Saving Trust organization. Powering traditional Christmas lights burns resources like oil, coal, and gas. This increases greenhouse gas emissions that pollute our atmosphere. The enormous amount of energy used for Christmas lights is one of the contributing factors to greenhouse gas emissions.

A very immediate or effective solution would be to ban Christmas lights altogether, but that is easier said than done. In order to reduce our carbon footprint to lower carbon emissions, we have to turn to alternatives. The alternatives we can use to reduce carbon emissions can change our lifestyles in ways that are kind to our environment and atmosphere. One solution to this Christmas commotion is investing in L.E.D lights. L.E.D’s are durable and energy-efficient and they don’t burn out too quickly. On top of that, the inexpensive nature makes them more attainable for those with diverse economic backgrounds. If purchasing LEDs is a solution that doesn’t appeal, putting a timer on your current Christmas lights can also be very beneficial to the environment. There’s no point in stopping the fun of Christmas, but we can be more considerate toward our surroundings.