Air North Texas, a division of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, provides a “Monthly Dose of Fresh Air” on its blog with suggestions for eco-friendly living that can ultimately improve air quality. A recent post asks North Texans to consider how they can reduce their carbon footprint during the 2019 holidays, with several ideas, including:

  • Use natural decorations, which utilize less resources to manufacture than artificial ones. (Natural Christmas trees, with all decorations taken off, can be composted through the City of Richardson’s tree cycling program beginning Dec. 26. Visit www.cor.net/treecycling for more information.)
  • Gift sustainably. If you’re shopping online, plan and buy gifts in advance to avoid expedited shipping by air (airplanes currently account for nearly 11 percent of CO2 emissions in the U.S.). Consider wrapping gifts with recyclable brown paper grocery sacks (add twine or string and a sprig of natural greenery tucked into the bow). Or skip the wrapping and gift an experience instead (ideas: Eisemann Center gift certificates, Richardson Parks and Rec classes or gift certificates from the City’s Cultural Arts partners).

Website: www.airnorthtexas.org