Eat less and give usefully

In fact, feasting and indulgence of any description is pretty ungreen. We eat too much in this country as it is, and the planet cannot sustain our greedy ways and over consumption. So if you feel the need to eat more or have luxuries, at least choose organic or fairly traded ones.

"Please put a penny in the old man's hat." Xmas is a time for giving to those less well off than you. There are loads of ways to help redistribute wealth. I particularly like Oxfam's Unwrapped campaign, which lets you give a present to someone in a developing country - a packet of seeds, a tool, a packet of condoms, for example - to help reduce poverty and improve their quality of life. Sponsoring a child is another positive action.

The giving of gifts is traditional and generates lots of fun and excitement. But we don't need more stuff - especially if it consume lots of electricity or depletes natural resources. If appropriate, give a useful item such as a low energy lightbulb, a battery recharger or a wind-up radio, or perhaps something made from recycled materials.

A present that helps someone grow their own food in the coming spring is something I would consider ethical, fun, healthy and, if successful, will reduce a carbon footprint.

The other thing to remember is that gifts need not be bought new. Some of us have unused and unwanted items that could get reused, and of course a reused gift can be sourced through ebay or Freecycle.

This may be seen as "cheap" but the recipient need not know, or could be told that they've been given a more ethical present than one bought new.

And after Christmas, don't chuck the cards you receive in the bin. The Woodland Trust, in partnership with several well known shops, will recycle them for you. The trust also has a range of ethical gifts on offer - including trees (native species, of course)!