Go Green & Save Green This Thanksgiving

By Elysia Walton, SnapSpace Solutions Staff

November 23, 2011

That time of the year has come around again—you know, the fourth Thursday of November—when your relatives come to town and you, in turn, must bake a precisely Pilgrim turkey complete with all essential trimmings, along with an elaborately decorated table. That’s right, Thanksgiving has arrived, and you are to please the family.

What is a good Thanksgiving without some holiday facts? Here are a few for you to think about: 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving,[1] equaling about 280 million turkeys![2] That means just for Thanksgiving, the United States consume seven billion pounds of turkey, and have three billion dollars’ worth of sales.[3] These are quite incredible numbers, especially for just one day of festivities. Along with the essential turkey are the cranberries, of which about 20% of all consumed in the U.S. are eaten on Thanksgiving.[4]

Everyone here at SnapSpace Solutions is dedicated to helping improve our environment by doing the little things all of us as individuals can do to help.  We have put together a few tips to help you save a little green and have a greener Thanksgiving this year! If you live in the north (like we do) you have probably already seen that shimmery layer of snow, and have watched the delightful green grass turn to hay-brown; so we are sure that a little bit of green will be a breath of fresh air.

One way to save money is to make a plan to use all of the holiday leftovers.[5] Turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and, if you are creative enough, little turkey quiches, are a good way to use your leftovers. This will save you money, and give you an excuse to use those cooking skills again! For some leftover recipe ideas check out:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving-leftovers/package

Another way to save a little money, and be a little greener, is to use reusable shopping bags while purchasing the necessary foodstuffs.[6] Using these instead of the standard plastic or paper bags will save you having to throw away all those bags after shopping, too!  

If you would like to make Thanksgiving more than just, “eat then sleep,” try making some family traditions. One great way to get the family together and aid the environment is to make a tradition of planting a tree every Thanksgiving.[7] Before you know it you could have your own little orchard complete with pear, orange, and apple trees!  Perhaps you could even throw in a maple tree for the kids to climb. Something I have done for the past few years with my family is to make a blessing jar.  Throughout the year when any of us receive a blessing, or something we are thankful for, we write it on a little slip of paper and put it in the jar!  When Thanksgiving comes around and your little jar is booming with blessings, we take turns reading to share our blessings after our meal.  It brings us closer as a family, and helps us to remember the things we are thankful for.

Alas, Thanksgiving has come. The turkey is thawed and deliciously cooked, the dishes are prepared and your family has taken their seats around the table—your best silver is shining from its recent polishing. Your in-laws are happy, and the kids are excited for new activities and traditions. There’s a nice little tree in the backyard ready to plant, and you have all of your new leftover recipes ready to use. Enjoy this special holiday and remember – be thankful!

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[1] http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/10-interesting-thanksgiving-facts/

[2] http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/10-interesting-thanksgiving-facts/

[3] http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/10-interesting-thanksgiving-facts/

[4] http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/10-interesting-thanksgiving-facts/

[5] http://environment.about.com/od/greenthanksgiving/tp/ef_thanksgiving.htm

[6] http://environment.about.com/od/greenthanksgiving/tp/ef_thanksgiving.htm

[7] http://environment.about.com/od/greenthanksgiving/tp/ef_thanksgiving.htm

  America’s Conservation Issue

By Elysia Walton, SnapSpace Solutions Staff
November 7, 2011

     Conservation is something that America, and the whole world, struggles with. We need to put the brakes to overusing our resources—well, at least ease up on the gas. A lot of people don’t realize how many trees are actually chopped down a year—how many trees it really takes to build a house. Something that we may not guess is this: over half of all the trees harvested globally are made into products for Europe and North America. ^[1] We are material-hungry people, and the above act alone demonstrates so. According to a survey by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, more than 8,000 tree species are threatened with extinction. This represents nearly 10 percent of all tree species. ^[2] We may take our maple, oak, and other trees for granted, but in reality, no matter how hard we try to push this fact to the back of our minds, it’s still there: someday it is likely many of our beloved tree species will disappear. We need to take stock of our priorities and realize that our resources are limited.
     The number of trees actually used for the frame of a 2000 square foot home is approximately 40-60. ^[3] Think about it. Every time you look at a house, not even one that is incredibly large, you are seeing 40-60 trees that were chopped down and processed. This is a substantial number, and one that we can’t simply ignore. Forests and trees are disappearing, and most times are not being replanted as they should be. In actuality, 3-6 billion trees per year are cut down. ^[4]  

     These facts are not just disappearing either, they are relevant today, and can affect our children and grandchildren’s lives if we continue to do nothing about it.
     Trees add oxygen to the earth’s atmosphere and remove carbon dioxide, but when they are cut, the result is poorer air quality, species extinction, displaced wildlife, and soil erosion. ^[5]

     Though these facts look grim, we can do something about it. This deadly process does not need to continue. Our forests and the wildlife that live within them can be preserved. We can live on this earth, and keep it green. We can preserve this wonderful planet and its forests and trees for generations to come. This does not mean that we have to move onto the streets to avoid more houses to be built, or stop harvesting trees completely, we just need to consider the trees and the re-growth. We have to give the forests a chance to re-grow, and ease up on deforestation. SnapSpace Solutions offers a unique way to do just that; by using recycled shipping containers, the amount of lumber used for a house is monumentally decreased. We can make a difference, and SnapSpace Solutions wants you to join with us in making that difference!

^[1]  http://www.ehow.com/facts_6105385_tree-conservation.html              

^[2]   http://www.gardenguides.com/114375-tree-conservation.html      

^[3]http://cadlab6.mit.edu/2.009.wiki/anchor/index.php?title=Number_of_trees_used_to_build_an_average_stick-built_US_home

^[4]  http://understory.ran.org/2008/04/22/how-many-trees-are-cut-down-every-year/

^[5]   http://www.ehow.com/facts_6105385_tree-conservation.html

(Photo credit): http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=36177334&page=3

    This is our first blog, and we would like to use it to introduce you all to SnapSpace Solutions and our blogging goals. SnapSpace Solutions builds homes and other structures out of recycled shipping containers, which can be specially made in a creative way. Our blogs will each have an interesting topic: whether it is ways to recycle, environment fact articles, or fun pictures—each blog will have something you will be interested in. So, follow our blog to see our fresh take on recycling!