For some, Christmas bespeaks the Messiah's birth. For others, like my son, 'tis the season for carols, cookies and, yes, gifts. Trees, decorations and lights curry great delight. Hanging stockings and mistletoe wreaths bring neither snarl nor sneer to our green friend.

Sadness reigns up north, where the ice is melting and winter friends suffer mightily. Green Grinch knows that Americans consume massive amounts of energy, mostly generated with fossil fuels that contribute to the destruction of his homeland and the rest of the planet.

Oh those lights, joyous lights that circle trees and houses, raising the spirits of children and adults alike, also raise global temperature to almost nobody's delight. Green Grinch knows they increase December electricity demand by more than 5 percent.

The feast of roast beast he likes least -- if we cut only one weekly serving of meat, savings would equal taking 5 million cars off the street. He cannot help but wonder, "Would Christmas dinner not be the perfect beginning?"

Christianity rightfully extols helping others and caring for the planet. So many of the songs they sing, sing, sing while Christmas bells ring celebrate love for all God's creatures. Green Grinch every day sees immense damage done to polar bears, seals, fish, birds and even Santa's reindeer.

When all the girls and boys wake bright and early, he sees them rush for their toys. How can he not shake his head in wonderment and dismay at the terrible waste and decay? Over 4 million more tons of waste from wrapping paper and shopping bags are produced for just this day.

Who doesn't love a brightly colored ribbon to finish the perfect present? Why then do most of them throw away the 38,000 miles of ribbon that add such yuletide cheer? Perhaps the overflowing landfills, bloated with so much Christmas waste, rejoice at all the discarded bounty.

Green Grinch mused, "Don't get me started on the 2.6 billion holiday cards, mountains of plastic toys, tens of millions of real trees cut down, or the tons of wasted food. Gluttony, depravity and avarice rule the day!"

And the more he thought of this Christmas sin, the more he thought, "I must stop this whole thing. Why, for far too many years I've put up with it now. I must stop this Christmas from coming with its excess and greed, but how?" Then he got an idea, a grand idea! "I know just what to do."

He chuckled and clucked, "What a great Green Grinchy trick. With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Nick." Since reindeer were scarce from the Arctic ice melting, he transformed his companion animal, Max, into one. Max delighted in his new role.

The Green Grinch and Max loaded bags and bags of holiday gifts with energy footprints so light they reached near to the sky. They included countless LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights that can be 90 percent more efficient and last 200 times longer.

They filled their bags with recycled cards and wrapping paper, including tips for reuse and recycling. Vegetarian cookbooks, locally grown, organic produce and vegan cupcakes to take over the world did abound. No beast, fowl nor fish could be found.

Their toys and other gifts were socially responsible -- fairly traded, environmentally sound, educational, local or homemade, and often charitable. These green toys contained no lead, BPA or phthalates, and when plastic was used, only super-clean fresh (called high-density polyethylene).

Christmas trees were the hardest, a mixture of ecologically produced live trees without pesticides or chemicals and imitation fare made of recyclable and recycled aluminum, but none with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). All were delivered with a promise to return for recycling or mulching.

Pulling the sleigh fueled with hydrogen and love, Max whizzed down from above, needing nary a shove. They rode with their load from the tiptop to dump it, sliding down chimneys despite a rather tight pinch. If Santa could do it, then so could Green Grinch.

Christmas this year came greener than most, with renewed promise this wondrous planet much life might long host. And he himself, Green Grinch, carved the Tofurkey!