Christmas cards - to send or not to send?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I'm seriously thinking of not sending cards this year because of the amount of paper wasted. I hate throwing them away, even if they do get recycled, it just seems such a waste. Am I just a killjoy?

[Ladygooner]

No you are not a killjoy - give a donation to your favourite charity instead or send e-cards

[clare]

Or recycle last years cards and send them !

[lozzyloz]

Send Goat vouchers

[Brendan]

If you?re worried about the wasted paper I?m sure you can get plastic ones.

[lozzyloz]

genius

[cdonline]

I think it is better not to send cards than sending an e-card. It's enough to seriously think if I want them as a friend. Spamming under the guise of sending Christmas Greetings is a real no no in my (tiny) mind.

[Keef]

lozzyloz Wrote:

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> Send Goat vouchers

Mrs Keef was telling me about this, and I think it's a great idea. We all have those people that it's impossible to buy for, and they really don't give a toss, so instead of buying them something that will be left to gather dust, buy a goat for someone who will be able to use it.

Oxfam Goat Link

[KalamityKel]

is that not something to do wiv goats in trees? Or am I thinking of something else? :s

[Brendan]

*****OFF TOPIC POINT***** - I just think that people should be aware of this before they consider buying goats for all and sundry:

The use of goats as primary livestock for subsistence farmers, especially in Africa, is a contentious issue.

Because of the shape of a goat?s mouth they actually completely rip grass (and other plants) out by the roots. Unlike cows and sheep that can only eat the bits sprouting up from the ground. The consequence of this is that goats actually create desert and in the long term destroy fertile land that could support communities indefinitely if used in a sustainable way.

It works like this. Farmer gets goats because they are hardy and easy to keep livestock - Goats strip land of vegetation ? Next rainy season all the fertile topsoil is washed away ? next season?s crops don?t grow because the topsoil has been washed away ? Farmer moves on to next piece of land leaving behind infertile dessert.

They are a short term solution that causes an even bigger long term problem.

[Maurice]

It's enough to make me just want to send huge paper cards and ignore all charities. No matter what one tries to do, a group rises up to tell us that actually no, that's even worse.

I think there must be a sort of pecking order battle among the militant wings of left-leaning charities. You score points by taking any charitable cause and ripping it up as even worse.

What can one really do to be helpful without being made to feel even more guilty when you discover your efforts actually made things worse?!

[lozzyloz]

But they do make a great curry!

I think there are alternatives to goats like anti despot vouchers, reverse global warming caused drought vouchers and young child not have to work in mine digging up engagement ring rock vouchers.

[Brendan]

I don?t have any particular cause Maurice. I am just someone who comes from Africa and has seen the damage goats do to the landscape. I have been to places that are lush and have every potential to be developed for agriculture and then been back 3 years later and the landscape has been completely destroyed by overgrazing goats.

I?m talking large scale soil erosion, where massive rifts have been washed out of the landscape sometimes taking parts of roads and houses with them, and complete destruction of all the vegetation even the trees.

[Keef]

lozzyloz Wrote:

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> But they do make a great curry!

Damn you, I was going to make that joke :X

[Brendan]

Well instead of Christmas cards you could just send people curry.

I?ll have mine at around 5pm on a Sunday afternoon please.

[PeckhamRose]

Maurice you can be one miseryguts in here sometimes yet I am sure you are a happy go lucky lovely "up" person in the flesh! I hope we meet one day and I shall try and persuade you that those of us who live in godawfuldreadful shouldbeblownupPECKHAM are actually nice people trying to make a positive difference. And what's more we live in the 95% of Peckham that is not part of the ?million regeneration area which you deem was wasted.

I too had read about goat-damage to crops and was glad Brendan kindly educated us about it - since he knows clearly what he is talking about.

But back to topic.

I have never sent Christmas cards and never saw the point and everyone knows it so they don't expect them from me, and yet I am amazed each year when still my friends send me cards that land on my mat.

But I never forget my friends' birthdays, so I do make up for it.

And I make my own cards. But I buy brand new non-recycled paper specially for it, just to make the point...

Mmmmm curry tonight !!!

[SeanMacGabhann]

I've pretty much stopped sending most cards on sanctioned events - people are far more likely to get random gifts and cards at unexpected times of the year from me. To my mind that shows they are genuinely being thought of rather than being on an annual mailing list

I wouldn't NOT send cards on "wasteful" grounds - there comes a point when you think "oh for the LOVE of GAAAWD, the planet can cope with some Christmas cardboard wastage" - but in recent years the poncification of cards has gotten out of hand

PS PeckhamRose - I think you are spot on about Maurice.. but shhhh I never said that

[PeckhamRose]

Shhhhh ta (re. the M chappie)!

Like you, I also buy presents for people when I see something I KNOW they'd really like right NOW, rather than give it because it's Christmas.

[Michael Palaeologus]

DONT SEND GOAT VOUCHERS!!

The buggers eat everything in sight and completely bugger up the environment.

I spent a goodly proportion of last year yomping round the developing world doing some work for DFID, the general opinion was - anything but goats. Except perhaps elephants.

Generic capacity building low technology and micro finance projects are less cute but are a better bet.

[LizzygotDizzy]

What a boring miserable bunch of old farts! Its only once a year!

[LizzygotDizzy]

writing in pencil/getting friends to do same, been re-cycling same cards for the last 6 years

[Asset]

that's a good idea!

[Brendan]

I wonder which is worse for the environment, the Christmas cards I have sent out this year or the carbon I have generated spending hours on this forum every day.

[Asset]

bloody binmen not getting one that's for sure.

[macroban]

> bloody binmen not getting one that's for sure.

They'll probably get tens of thousands after Christmas.