Gobble, gobble may be the sound turkeys make, but it's also what humans do around Thanksgiving--and boy do we generate a lot of waste in the process.

Between travel, disposable plates, paper napkins, pre-packaged and heavily processed foods, leftovers wrapped in tinfoil and plastic wrap, and food that ends up in the trash because we just cooked too much, there's a hefty environmental footprint associated with Thanksgiving.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), household waste increases a whopping 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, resulting in an extra 1 millions tons of garbage each year.

But even if we were to waste less food, the carbon footprint associated with food processing and distribution to supermarkets can have a considerable impact on the environment.

A 2002 report from the Worldwatch Institute revealed distance food travels rose by as much as 25 percent between 1980 and 2002. Not only is local food better for the environment and local economies, but it also tastes better.

"Locally grown food served fresh and in season has a definite taste advantage," report author Brian Halweil said in a press release. "It's harvested at the peak of ripeness and doesn't have to be fumigated, refrigerated, or packaged for long-distance hauling and long shelf-life."

Farmers markets offer the freshest local autumn vegetables, but if your local farmers market is closed for the season, look for locally grown foods in the supermarket or head straight to the source. Local farms often sell their crops at farm stands, and some also sell ready-made products such as fruit preserves, pickles, cranberry sauce, and pies made fresh from the crops they grow.

Local bakeries are your best source for fresh-made artisan breads, pies, and pastries that aren't packed full of preservatives.

Organic and free-range foods can also reduce your environmental footprint this Thanksgiving.

Free-range turkeys are a better choice for people and animals, but consumers should do their homework before buying. When many people think "free-range" they imagine turkeys roaming the land, munching on plants, grains and seeds, but that's not always the reality.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires free-range poultry be given continuous access to the outdoors for more than 51 percent of the animal's life, but there's no standard regarding how many turkeys can be crammed into a small pen.

If you want to ensure you are getting a turkey that is raised humanely and is grain-fed or feeds off the land, your best bet is to buy direct from a farm, where you have an opportunity to ask about living conditions and feed, or from a grocer that sources humanely-raised poultry.

Organic produce is also important, as conventional fruits and vegetables are grown using pesticides and are generally contaminated with pesticide residue. According to a report from The Organic Center, eating organic foods reduces pesticide-related human health risks, and organic farming reduces chemical contamination of water sources, improves soil quality, and increases biodiversity.

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to go green is to avoid using disposable products. Holiday meals beget all sorts of unnecessary plastic and paper waste.

Instead of reaching for the paper towels when one of the kids spills a drink, use a tea towel to mop up the mess. Likewise, paper napkins may be festive, but inexpensive and reusable cloth napkins are better for the planet.

Paper plate and plastic cutlery producers may beckon with promises of easy cleanup, but such products are not easy on the environment. If you don't have enough china, silverware or glassware to go around, ask a relative to bring theirs and set the table in a mix-and-match fashion.

Greening Thanksgiving may seem daunting at first, but eliminating unnecessary waste and buying local, organic and free-range can have an important impact.

Military Leads on Efficiency, Alternative Energy
Michael Signer

To some critics, the cause of alternative and sustainable energy will always be associated with the image of dewy-eyed do-gooders earnestly plying a hopeless cause. However, it might surprise opponents -- and even supporters -- that the most innovative and effective actors in the carbon-reduction arena is the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard who are aggressively pursuing plans for sustainable energy, reducing carbon, and achieving energy independence.

Norman Borlaug: The Man Who Changed Everything
Norman Borlaug (March 25, 1914 - September 12, 2009)

Norman Borlaug, a plainspoken Iowa farm boy who worked his way through the University of Minnesota during the Depression. His death at 95 came at the end of a life as rich as the bountiful fields he left across the world. To quote the citation that came with his Nobel Prize in 1970, "More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world."

Interview with India's Environment Minister
Jayshree Bajoria

India and China have long maintained their economic growth will suffer if they accept binding emission targets under an international agreement on climate change. Instead, they have called for mitigation commitments by the developed world and financial support from rich countries to help developing countries adapt to climate change.

Religious Groups Push for Climate Change Legislation
Dan Gilgoff

American religious traditions have emerged as a large part of the environmental movement. The stepped-up environmental efforts of religious groups in Washington have paralleled a grass-roots effort among religious Americans to green their congregations.

Even Skeptics Should Heed These Climate-Change Warnings
Robyn Blumner

To Global Warming Holdouts and Oil Drilling Enthusiasts: OK, maybe you don't care or believe that within a couple of generations global warming's effects on sea levels will swamp the world's coastlines, displacing hundreds of millions of people. However, you might want to get behind the push for alternative energy and a reduced carbon 'bootprint,' because our military says it's essential for American security

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Available at Amazon.com (Click Here)

(C) 2009 Naturally Savvy