Dreaming of a Green Christmas

With the holidays approaching, I thought it would be a good time to start thinking about Green gifts for everyone on your list:

1. Intangible Gifts
Some of the most eco-conscious gifts are those that don’t involve any wrapping paper. These gifts provide resources that last long after the holidays are over and are an excellent way to give someone something that does good for the world. Ideas include: donating time or money to a charity that means something to the recipient; buying carbon offsets on behalf of the recipient; planting a forest in the recipient’s name; or sponsoring an endangered animal.

2. Educational Gifts
If you have people on your list who have expressed interest in being more green, but simply don’t know where to begin, you can give them something that helps them become more aware of the Green movement. A search at any bookstore for green topics will provide you with many choices, including the DVD “An Inconvenient Truth,” and books like “Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet.” If the recipient enjoys cooking, you could try one of many organic food cook books, like “The Organic Cook’s Bible,” and if he enjoys gardening, “Organic Gardening for Dummies” might be a nice choice.

3. Traditional Gifts
You don’t have to look far to get wonderful traditional gifts like toys, linens and clothing that don’t negatively impact the environment. For example, you can find clothing made of organic cotton in many major retailers today. Bamboo towels, socks and bathrobes are amazingly silky-soft, and have antibacterial properties in addition to being environmentally sound. Wooden toys built from sustainable trees are also an excellent choice for children.