Great Green Gift Guide

Ideas for easy-on-the-planet presents that go way beyond the basics

Nature Lovers

• Probably the best environmental gift I ever received was not designed to be an environmental gift at all. I don't think that I would be where I am today if my parents hadn't decided to send me to Camp Menatoma in Kents Hill, Maine, in the summer of 1969. That summer -- and for seven summers afterward -- I explored the Maine woods, learned outdoors skills and playing with new friends. But Camp Menatoma taught me more than how to hold a canoe paddle or stand up on water skis. I also learned about the damage being done to the Maine woods by clearcutting, about how plastic six-pack holders could choke our lake's glorious loons and about our role as the earth's protectors. In short, at Menatoma I developed an environmental consciousness that has led me to a career with NRDC today. It's a gift that I thank my parents for every day. — RICH KASSEL is a senior attorney at NRDC and an internationally recognized expert on vehicle pollution.

  » Editor's note: A terrific, related idea is to give a donation in a friend's or relative's name to the Fresh Air Fund, which sends city children on summer vacations in the country.

• One of the best gifts I've ever received is a lightweight two-person tent, which I got about five years ago from my then-boyfriend, now husband. In addition to backpacking trips, we often use the tent when we travel during the warmer months, staying at campgrounds. We love waking up in the great outdoors instead of in a hotel room, and we must have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the years. During a weeklong trip to Nova Scotia, we camped in a different town every night -- it was one of my favorite vacations. The tent gives us freedom to enjoy the outdoors and to take trips we might otherwise not be able to afford. — YERINA MUGICA works on energy efficiency solutions in NRDC's Center for Market Innovation.
• My best present was a pair of lightweight, top-quality binoculars that my husband, Michael, gave me. They've been a joy to have on long treks in mountains, on rivers and in deserts as well as on jaunts closer to home. Although I don't use them only for birding, they have made me a much better birder -- which has made both of us happy, since Michael is a big-time birder! I literally try not to leave home without them. — JOHANNA WALD holds the Leonard and Sandy Sargent Chair for Public Lands at NRDC and is a nationally recognized expert on public land management.
• One year, two of my friends gave my mom a homemade holiday wreath decorated with birdseed, suet and fruit slices to hang in her garden and keep the birds well fed during the winter. After the bird food is gone, what's left of the wreath goes into the compost pile. It's not too hard to find the components to make your own, but you can also always buy a pre-made wreath for birds. — LISA M. CATAPANO is NRDC's director of online advocacy and prefers watching college basketball to watching birds.

Readers and Information Junkies

• One of the most useful holiday gifts I've ever received is a subscription to The The Green Guide. Produced by National Geographic, The Green Guide provides clear answers to consumers' questions about personal and household environmental issues, reviewing ecofriendly products and offering tips on how to save money and make green home improvements. By doing the research on which products to buy and what practices are best, The Green Guide takes the hard work out of doing right. You can subscribe to the quarterly magazine in print or electronic format, and bookmark the web site, www.thegreenguide.com. They're my go-to sources for smart shoppers' advice and healthy living tips. — JACK MURRAY is NRDC's director of development.
• If you're looking to give a great photography or coffee table book, check out TIME's PLANET EARTH: An Illustrated History. It's a stunning collection of photos from around the world and is a wonderful visual representation of what's at stake if we don't protect the environment. Plus -- it includes a great photo of a beluga whale blowing a ring of bubbles. Who knew? There's always more to discover about nature, and this book contains countless reminders of that fact. — JENNY POWERS is the media relations director in NRDC's New York office.
• I recently discovered the cool gifting of magazine subscriptions. One of my favorites to pass along is GOOD magazine. Not only can you support NRDC by subscribing, your gift recipients will also get six issues highlighting the people, ideas and institutions driving change in the world. — KELLY COX specializes in online outreach for NRDC.

  » Editor's note: You might also consider a subscription to OnEarth, NRDC's independent, award-winning environmental magazine, which features the work of some of America's finest journalists, photographers and poets. An NRDC membership comes along with the subscription.

• How about a subscription to Plenty? It's a magazine that makes being green sexy. — NATHANAEL GREENE is a senior resource specialist at NRDC working on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
• One of the best gifts I have given -- to the family that has everything (and more): the excellent little book by Alan Durning, How Much Is Enough? The Consumer Society and the Future of the Earth. Without being too preachy, it explores whether increasing consumption is related to greater happiness. — ERIC A. GOLDSTEIN is a senior attorney and co-director of NRDC's urban program.

  » Editor's note: NRDC has compiled a separate list of book recommendations, many of which also make great gifts.

• Unlike many Christians who find solace in scripture, for most of my life -- and certainly my career -- I've been drawn to the gloomier Bible verses that seem to more accurately depict the environmental challenges that the secular world faces. This one, for example, resonates with me: "It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares." (Jeremiah 12:11) Perhaps that's why I'm so excited to put The Green Bible on my holiday wish list. This book is billed as "the definitive movement Bible that proves that God is green and how we can care for and protect His creation." In this edition, scripture that speaks to God's care for creation is highlighted with green text. Apparently, the Bible contains more than 1,000 references to the earth (compared to 490 references to heaven), including this one: "Justice, and only justice you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you." (Deuteronomy 16:20) I'm looking forward to reading -- and being inspired -- by the other 999+ verses. — ROB PERKS is the director of NRDC's Center for Advocacy Campaigns.
• Children's author Lynne Cherry and photojournalist Gary Braasch have teamed up on a fantastic children's book that explains global warming and climate science to the next generation. How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming is aimed at grades 4-9, as well as their teachers and parents.— MICHELLE QUIBELL is the campaign coordinator for NRDC's climate center.
• If you live in the Washington, D.C., area or travel there often, this portable street map for the neighborhoods surrounding each of the 86 Metrorail stations will help you find your way around. StationMasters is useful for visitors and locals alike, and the full-color maps include important buildings and clearly show the location of each station exit.— JOHN LOY is a legislative advocate in NRDC's Washington office.

Hot Rods

• One of the best gifts I have ever received was a rental of a hybrid car for a day (check around with your local car rental companies for availability). It was a great way to take an extended test drive of a hybrid, without the hassle of going to a dealership and having to deal with pushy salesmen. I ended up buying a hybrid of my own! — AUDREY CHANG is director of NRDC's California climate program and owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid.
• A folding bicycle with a carrying case makes it easy to stay fit and healthy when you travel. It's a great way to keep in shape while seeing the sights in a completely non-polluting way, and they come in a variety of models suited for everyone from a casual weekend rider to the most serious fitness geek. They set up in seconds and perform just like full-sized models. — KAID BENFIELD is the director of NRDC's smart growth program and an avid cyclist.

Gear Heads

• My wife has given me a flashlight and a radio from Freeplay, and they're great. Both are powered by cranking handles attached to the casings. (Some Freeplay products can also operate on a second source of power, either a solar panel or a rechargeable battery.) They ALWAYS work, and there are no batteries to dispose of. Plus, with the transparent housing, you can see how the really cool spring mechanism works so it's educational, too. — BARRY NELSON, an expert in water issues, is a senior policy analyst at NRDC.
• I give rechargeable batteries and rechargers to friends and family members, especially those with kids. Kids' toys create a lot of demand for batteries, so it's greener (and cheaper!) if parents don't have to deal with so many disposable batteries and the troubling chemicals, like mercury and cadmium, that they contain. — ALLEN HERSHKOWITZ, PhD, is a senior scientist who directs NRDC’s research and advocacy on recycling and solid waste management. He also coordinates many of our corporate greening collaborations.
• A solar charger for your iPod would make a great gift (it works for phones and PDAs too). Not only does it reduce your personal carbon footprint, it'll save you time because you can charge on the go. — MICHELLE QUIBELL

Domestic Gods/Goddesses

• LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights are quickly becoming a tradition in public spaces across the country and make an energy-smart and safe gift. They save up to 90 percent of the energy used by regular mini holiday lights and last 100 times longer, saving the hassle of having to replace bulbs frequently. And since they don't heat up or break, these lights reduce the risk of fire and help protect children's hands. Look for them alongside standard lights in many stores. — KIM RANNEY is NRDC's senior website marketing and production associate.
• My brother buys himself bike gear before we even know what he needs. However, I beat him to this gift, which he loved: a picture frame made from a recycled bike chain. The eco-artware site has many other beautiful gifts made from recycled materials. — SUSAN CASEY-LEFKOWITZ is a senior attorney and directs NRDC's Canada projects.
• These pretty leaf ornaments are a doubly good gift. When decorating season is over, they can be planted. Plus, your purchase will fund a new tree to be planted in the Kootenai National Forest in Montana. Over its lifetime, that tree will absorb more than 650 pounds of carbon dioxide. — LAURA WRIGHT is senior editor of OnEarth Magazine.
• Energystar.gov offers terrific information on energy-efficient lighting products, many of which are suitable for holiday gifts. For instance, giving someone an Energy Star-rated torchiere to replace a halogen torchiere is a perfect gift. Not only will it save your friends and loved ones money by reducing their energy bills, it may well save their lives (halogen lamps are notorious fire-starters). — RALPH CAVANAGH is a senior attorney and co-director of NRDC's energy program.
• Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles are a great alternative to plastic water bottles. They're free of toxics and don't leach, and they even have sippy attachments for young kids. — NATHANAEL GREENE
• I recommend the book Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. Despite the harrowing economic news of the past several months, this well-written childhood memoir reminds us that high spirits, human ingenuity and environmental resourcefulness -- traits that we ought not to forget as Americans -- got us through the Great Depression and later helped us thrive in a postwar global economy. I dog-eared more than 20 pages of advice ranging from easy-to-make old-fashioned dessert recipes to healing mouth sores just by using green peppers. — PIERRE BULL is a policy analyst in NRDC's air and energy program.
• Homemade gifts are a green and heartfelt way to share the holidays. You can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by not supporting the transportation of consumer products, and you can reduce energy consumption by using recycled materials. Windchimes, for example, can easily be made from a variety of recycled materials, including empty aerosol cans, forks and spoons, scrap metal piping, seashells, broken vases/plates/pots, and anything else that makes a neat sound! You'll need a small drill, durable thread or fishing wire, and something to hang the pieces from (a piece of wood, an old bicycle chainring, an old stove-top cover, etc.) — VRINDA MANGLIK is a Scoville Fellow in NRDC's international program.
• This Green Life, NRDC's monthly journal from long-time advisor Sheryl Eisenberg, offers two very good issues on giving sustainably. You can see the advice Sheryl offers here and here. While you're at it, why not give someone (maybe even yourself!) a free subscription to This Green Life, and keep the advice coming every month. — LINDA LOPEZ is the memership director at NRDC.

Foodies

• In my work at NRDC I advocate alternatives to environmentally damaging factory farm practices that pollute our air and waterways and threaten public health. By purchasing your holiday ham or turkey directly from cooperatives like Patchwork Family Farms, you can support independent family farmers who are trying environmentally sustainable methods of farming pork, chicken and beef. Last Thanksgiving I ate my words when I gave my mother a pasture-raised turkey to cook for dinner -- in case you are wondering, it was delicious! For more on sustainably raised meat products visit the Eat Well Guide. — MELANIE SHEPHERDSON is an attorney with NRDC's water program.
• In 2005, the United States finally banned imports of caviar from the threatened beluga sturgeon, so indulge your fish roe-loving loved ones with American caviar. Several leading chefs have been using American caviar, which comes from farmed white sturgeon, paddlefish, rainbow trout and other sustainable fish, for years. — LISA SPEER is an expert in fisheries conservation and directs NRDC's water and oceans program.
• If you're looking for a hostess or holiday gift, how about some wine grown under the Lodi Rules? The grapes are grown on certified California vineyards meeting environmental performance standards to protect water, soil and habitat. These wines rule! — JONATHAN KAPLAN is director of NRDC's Sustainable Agriculture Project.
• Seeds of Change has a wide array of organic garden supplies, including lots of organic seeds and fruit trees. They have nine kinds of orange and yellow slicing tomatoes. You just can't beat diving into a fragrant, dusty-smelling tomato plant in the summer, searching for the first glowing orb of the season. For me, one of the simple pleasures of summer is a sourdough sandwich with lettuce, blue cheese and a sliced tomato from the garden. They make great stocking stuffers -- the seeds, not the tomatoes. — BARRY NELSON
• How about an organic dried fruit basket? — TOM COCHRAN is senior scientist and holds the Wade Greene Chair for Nuclear Policy at NRDC.
• I'd like to give all my terribly busy friends in the New York area a weekly delivery of organic food from Urban Organic. The company buys produce, groceries and dairy goods in bulk from organic cooperatives, distributors and individual farmers and drops them off in grocery boxes at your door. The contents vary with each season, and you can ask them to leave out things you don't like. Planet Organics offers a similar service in the San Francisco Bay Area. — SARAH BRIGHT is senior writer for NRDC's membership department.
• I like to sign people up for a trial-run membership with a community-supported agriculture program (called a CSA) so they can receive scheduled deliveries of locally grown, seasonal produce. Receiving "the box" every week is a great way to support local economies, the environment and your health. I find that most people love the program and elect to continue their membership after the gift period runs out. My favorite in the San Francisco area is Farm Fresh To You, but CSAs are thriving throughout the country. — TOMMY HAYES used to live by the Hummer factory in Indiana but is now a program assistant in NRDC's San Francisco office.
• For the home-spun foodie, how about a farmers market basket? Many local farmers markets feature organic, locally grown and sustainably sourced products that can be packaged into unique and personalized gift baskets. For those close by, a trip to the farmers' market right before the holidays means a gift of fresh produce, meats, cheeses and other goodies (a nice contribution to the holiday table). If you're traveling to see family and friends farther away, non-perishable items like coffee/tea, canned goods or preserves, oils, soaps, wools, etc. can be found at farmers markets everywhere. Giving these items as gifts can help support local farmers and inform your loved ones about all that farmers markets have to offer. — NIKKI VERHOFF is a portfolio manager in NRDC's San Francisco office.

Cards and Stocking Stuffers

• Holiday cards from Native Energy help spread the word about global warming and keep carbon dioxide out of the air at the same time. The cards come in four themes and represent carbon reductions for projects such as wind turbines and renewable methane generators on family dairy farms. By purchasing the $12 card, you'll keep a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air; with the $72 card, you can boost that number to 6 tons. — ANTONIA HERZOG is a legislative advocate in NRDC's climate center.

  » Editor's note: Carbon offsets are a popular gift idea at NRDC. Try Clif Bar's $2 Cool Tags as stocking stuffers -- they keep an estimated 300 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air. Or up the ante with carbon offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. One BEF Carbon Offset represents enough renewable energy to offset a typical home for a month with clean wind and solar power, and is equal to 1,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy onto North America's power grids, or 1,500 miles of offsetting emissions from a standard car (measured mainly as carbon dioxide).

• Doesn't it seem silly to just trash out-of-date government-surplus maps? Someone at New England Cartographics asked that very question and came up with the idea of making stationery out of the old topographic maps, a truly inspired recycling idea. The attractive envelopes and letter paper are a joy to send and receive.. — CRAIG DYLAN WYATT is a program assistant with NRDC's land program.
• A couple of years ago, an NRDC staffer recommended giving those really nice bags that fold up into a small pouch and are very easy to keep in your purse or pocket. To my delight, one of my coworkers was inspired by the idea and bought one for me. They're great -- much stronger than plastic bags, easy on the environment and perfect as stocking stuffers. — RITA BAROL is NRDC's website director.
• I received unpetroleum lip balm a couple of years ago and now buy it any time I can find it. — KAREN WAYLAND is NRDC's legislative director.
• Tire gauges make great stocking stuffers. By keeping tires properly inflated, you can save fuel and cut pollution. — FRANCES BEINECKE is NRDC's president.
• I'm planning to give away plenty of these compact, reusable, durable and stylish Envirosax bags as stocking stuffers. They're big and strong enough to hold a bagful of groceries or even books, but they are feather-light and roll up into a package a few inches on each side. I like to tote one around in my work bag or purse so that I'm sure to have a reusable bag on hand when I stop by the store on the way home or pick up lunch to go. — MELISSA WAAGE is a campaign manager in NRDC's Washington, D.C., office.

Re-Gifts?

• I put the beautiful drawings made by my young children to good use by wrapping gifts in them. — KATE POOLE is a senior attorney at NRDC and mom of two budding environmentalists.
• We once gave an old computer to a very small public interest group that was operating on a shoestring. We thought it was hopelessly obsolete, but they thought it was the greatest thing and were very grateful. Since discarded computers are increasingly an environmental problem, it's useful to know that you can usually find someone who is happy to accept one that is less than state of the art. — NANCY MARKS is a senior attorney at NRDC who takes on corporate polluters in court.

And for Someone You Really, Really Love...

• I gave my son a Prius! — ALLEN HERSHKOWITZ