A note from our friends at StopGlobalWarming.org

Stop Global Warming Virtual March
12/07/07

GREEN SHOPPING IDEAS
Happy Holidays! And here's to a green New Year! Below are our very own green suggestions!

Cool Planet Jewelry: Each piece of our partner Cool Planet Jewelry's Stop Global Warming collection is made from recycled precious metals using earth-friendly manufacturing techniques. Men's and women's collection includes bracelet, necklace, cufflinks, and stud set. Wear the jewelry and spread the word on this important issue. Buy Now.

Simple Flip Flops: Simple Shoes offers a StopGlobalWarming.org edition of their Toepeeka flip-flop, made with ecologically-friendly materials and packaged in a bio-degradable bag. Proceeds from the sale benefit our organization. Buy Now.

Greensender.com: A great green movement starter pack! Included are a few useful items that will help anyone to incorporate green practices into their daily lives. The Greensender box includes an eco-friendly aluminum SIGG water bottle; a reusable grocery bag; an energy-efficient cfl light bulb; and an organic cotton t-shirt. Buy Now.

41Pounds.org: Help a friend or family member cut out their junk mail, and have a tree planted in their name. Click here to sign up.

The Down to Earth Guide to Global Warming: A book for kids of all ages with facts about global warming, loads of photos and illustrations, and suggestions for combating global warming in homes, schools, and communities. Buy Now. For other great DVD and book ideas, check out our Resources page.

Spiralfoundation.org: The non-profit S.P.I.R.A.L. Foundation (stands for Spinning Potential Into Resource And Love) offers beautiful handmade goods crafted from found objects and recycled scraps. Click here to check out their wide variety of recycled products that will make great gifts for everyone on your list.

Experience/Donation Gifts: What better way to help the environment than to give gifts that don't require packaging? Try tickets to concerts or sporting events, or a museum membership. Even better, give a gift membership to an environmental organization. Your donation helps support groups that fight on your behalf for the good of our planet. A few suggestions: NRDC; The Sierra Club; and the National Wildlife Federation.

HOLIDAY TIPS

Ditch the Plastic Bag: Another useful idea for your holiday shopping trips is to bring your own reusable canvas bag, foregoing those one-time plastic shopping bags. Here in Los Angeles, December 20, 2007 will be recognized as "A Day Without A Bag" as part of a grassroots education and action effort to encourage consumers to not accept plastic bags while holiday shopping.

Skip the Gift Wrap: Whatever you give, be sure to cut back on holiday waste by using alternatives to paper gift wrapping, almost none of which is made from recycled materials. Use the least amount of packaging and wrapping as possible. Newspaper, fabric scraps, scarves, reusable boxes, tins and jars are great wrapping ideas. If you do buy wrapping paper, always choose recycled and save wrap and bows for re-use next year.

Our partner IdealBite has some fresh ideas for a greener holiday season:

Go Towards the LED: Watch your holiday energy bills flatline by switching to strands of LED bulbs - they use 90% less electricity than traditional holiday bulbs.

Shop in the Buff: Online, that is. Despite their size, e-commerce warehouses use 1/16th of the energy used to operate retail stores. And even overnight air shipping uses 40% less fuel than the average car trip to the store.

For more of their great holiday tips, check out Idealbite.com.