Its the holiday season again and many of you are wondering how to give gifts to your loved ones that show your appreciation of them while staying true to your ecological convictions. And with the economy being as challenging as it currently is, chances are that you probably have much less money to go around this year. The good news is that you dont have to spend a lot of money to give an absolutely wonderful gift. After all, the best gifts dont have to be expensive to show how much you love the recipient. A well-thought out personal gift can mean so much more to someone than a high-ticket item. It may be clich but it really is the thought that counts. You can demonstrate your love and admiration best by showing that you care enough to give a gift that truly reflects their interests and personality. And, you can be green while doing it.

So, what exactly is a green gift? It is a gift that is created, transported, wrapped and given with minimal environmental impact. You can even green it up a little more by purchasing from environmentally conscious companies and organizations. Tickets to a concert, ballet, opera, football game, museum, or many other options make a fantastic green gift. And it can take as little as an envelope to wrap. Homemade gifts are another great option and very personal. My grandma, Rosella, sends me cookies from Washington State from time to time and there is no gift that I enjoy more. With every bite I think of how they were made with love and affection for me. Gift certificates can actually be very thoughtful gifts too if they are chosen well. For instance, a gift certificate for yoga classes for a friend that has wanted to try it out would be a great gift and motivation at the same time.

Donations can also make a surprisingly heartfelt green gift. More people than you might realize truly appreciate a gift given to a charitable organization that reflects their own beliefs and passions. Last year, I gave gifts to Heifer International in the names of many of my friends and family members. These gifts of chicks and ducks, llamas, goats, and sheep are provided to help needy children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. They provide beautiful, unique gift cards for you to give to announce the donation, and I was sometimes surprised at the sheer delight people exhibited when they opened their gift and realized that they had, in effect, given a flock of geese to a family in the Philippines for instance.

The list below offers a few suggestions of green gifts for the holidays. Use it as inspiration to spark ideas of your own. There is no science to green gift giving: the two main factors in the equation are environmental awareness and thoughtfulness.

And remember, when wrapping gifts always use recycled wrapping paper or other reusable items; get creative! I always use grocery bags and raffia or twine when I wrap gifts, and I frequently receive comments on how beautiful the packages are. Sometimes simplicity can be the most elegant.

Have a wonderful, festive, green holiday season.

Some Green Holiday Gift Ideas

-Charitable donation to a favorite charity

-Used books, beautiful collectable editions

-Framed personal photo

-Homemade baked goods and jellies

-Handmade items such as a Knitted Scarf

-Basket filled with organic fruits, coffees, teas, nuts

-Gift certificate (thoughtfully chosen of course) to a favorite boutique, restaurant, yoga studio

-Tickets to a concert, opera, ballet, sports event

-Clothing made from organic cotton or recycled materials

Thanksgiving brings to mind family, friends, togetherness, partnership, sustenance. It is a time when we gather together to give thanks and, of course, to get a good binge on. It is also a fantastic time to think about the food that you put on your table: where did it come from, how did it get there and how good is it for you?

The simplest definition of organic is fruits and vegetables that are produced without the aid of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. By choosing to eat organic, locally-produced produced foods you and your family can personally benefit in many ways.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for eating organic is flavor. If you have ever tasted a tomato that was grown organically and picked fresh, you know what I am talking about. It seems like the tomatoes in the grocery store have lost that tangy burst when you bite into one. But a tomato that was grown as Mother Nature intended will take you back to the taste that you remember as a child. And many supermarkets are adding and expanding their selection of organic produce every day.

Besides taste, eating organic is good for your health. Conventional, non-organic produce is most often grown by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals can leach onto the food. And who wants to pollute their body with unnecessary chemicals?

A great way to find quality organic food is to visit your local farmers market. Most communities now have farmers markets. There is a great one right here at the campus of College of San Mateo every Wednesday and Saturday from 9:00AM to 1:00PM, and I like to make it an event whenever I have a chance to go. I can often be found on my lunch break on Wednesdays, with my canvas bag in tow of course, strolling through the many booths, smelling and sampling the variety of luscious, freshly-picked veggies and fruits. Also, farmers markets vendors sell much more than fruits and vegetables. Bread, nuts, spices, flowers, and even some prepared foods are among the many offerings. You can even enjoy a delicious meal while you shop.

A good tip when visiting your farmers market is to talk with the vendors and ask about their farms. While many of these vendors have signs showing that they are certified organic, some smaller, struggling farms find it cost-prohibitive to gain their certified status. They may use sustainable, organic practices even if they cannot technically label their produce organic. But if you ask them about their farming practices, they are generally more than happy to talk with you about them.

Adding to the personal benefits of buying organic and locally produced foods, a decision that benefits the health and well-being of yourself and your family, you will have a tremendously positive impact on the environment for the greater good. Produce that is grown and harvested sustainably keeps dangerous chemicals out of our bodies, as well as out of our soil, water and air. Also, by purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables, you are helping to lessen the carbon emissions given off to transport the produce to market when compared with those trucked in to your grocery store from all corners of the globe. Not to mention the fact that you are helping to financially support your local, struggling farmers as well as promoting your local economy.

So in preparation for your Thanksgiving meal this year, take a field trip to the farmers market in your community. I promise that you will find the experience to be absolutely delightful. And your family and guests will rave about the fresh, nutritious, delicious meal that you set before them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As the film An Inconvenient Truth was the birth of my eco-evolution, watching Who Killed the Electric Car? was the beginning of my eco-adolescence. I had just recently purchased a new Ford Ranger that I absolutely adored. I clearly remember the sunny, warm day that I had bought my new truck less than a year earlier, driving over an hour and a half to find the exact model and color that I had chosen. Unfortunately, this truck that I loved so much was only getting about 15 miles per gallon. After seeing the two above documentaries within months of each other, I was suddenly feeling guilt ridden with each and every mile that slipped away beneath me. I knew that I had to take personal responsibility for my own impact on the environment and had to make a change. So for the second time in a year, I set out to buy another new, yet much more fuel-efficient car.

When purchasing a new car and keeping global climate change in mind, there is really only one major factor to keep in mind: gas mileage. It's really that simple. There are of course many other environmental factors to consider such as pollution and smog producing emissions, as well as the raw materials and production processes used by the automobile manufacturer, but when considering your ongoing global warming footprint, carbon emissions are the enemy. And that translates directly to the amount of miles you get for each gallon of gas.

I agonized over the choices for several weeks before I decided on a Ford Escape Hybrid. I strongly considered both the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid, both of which achieve better mileage than the Escape, however, when I added the needs of myself and my family into the equation, I realized that a larger vehicle was necessary. And my action improving from 15 to 30 mpg was definitely something that I felt very proud of.

There are some hybrids available today that offer no significant increase in mileage. Some hybrids actually only improve mpg by a few miles when compared to their non-hybrid counterparts. Not all vehicles with "hybrid" emblazoned on their body are necessarily the best choice. There are many other vehicles that can achieve much better fuel efficiency than some of these. A great resource for comparing fuel efficiency of all vehicles can be found at:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Driving habits can also have a significant affect on the number of times that you have to stop at the pump. Whether you drive a regular car or a hybrid, the way that you drive it will affect its efficiency. I found that I was not getting the mileage that I had hoped for, so I tried an experiment. I started driving more slowly, actually driving the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. Also, I began using cruise control and staying to the right of faster moving traffic. Cruise control helps to mitigate rapid acceleration and braking which burns more fuel than when keeping a constant speed. And I began to check that my tires were properly inflated. With very little effort I was able to increase fuel efficiency by 2 miles per gallon more, a 7 % increase: And this just from altering a few bad habits!

Even by lessening my global warming impact from driving by 100%, there were still emissions to be dealt with. I chose to purchase carbon offsets fromTerraPass. By estimating the total number of miles I drive in a year and entering my vehicle information at terrpass.com, I was able calculate my Escape's annual carbon emissions and purchase carbon offsets for less than fifty dollars. TerraPass then invests my fifty dollars into carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy and reforestation, therefore offsetting another measurable amount of carbon emissions.

What changes can you make today to curb your own carbon emissions? It can be as simple as slowing down. Remember, any change for the better is change for the environment that we all share. You too can be part of the solution.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Ahhhhhh, the mantra of the eco-savvy everywhere. Say it with me now. But what does it mean? It is so much more than a catchy slogan found on hemp t-shirts. This is known as the waste hierarchy, listed in the order of environmental importance. Americans account for about 5% of the world’s population and consume almost 25% of the world’s energy. This is an astounding fact. How can so few impact so many? By beginning to change our personal consumption habits, we will start the increasingly important act of reducing waste. By following the hierarchy, we each begin to become more and more aware of our own environmental impact.

Here is a very simplistic breakdown, listed in order of the level of environmental benefit:

1. REDUCE. Buy less, use less, waste less.

2. REUSE. Use what you already have.

3. RECYCLE. Repurpose or remanufacture waste and give it a new life.

Today why not make a personal commitment to change at least one wasteful habit (we all have them!) Try taking your own mug to your favorite coffee shop and forego the paper cup. Are you itching to redecorate? Try rearranging the furniture that you already have, maybe even move items from one room to another, for a fresh look. And if you must buy a something, try thrift or antique stores. You’ll probably end up with a beautiful, unique piece, often for much cheaper. And it just can’t be stressed enough: ALWAYS, ALWAYS RECYCLE! Think before you toss something in the trash. Most recyclable waste ends up in trash cans.

There are so many ways to make earth-friendly decisions in your life. Be creative! And remember, you can always fall back on the basics for inspiration: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) have rightfully become the little darling of energy savings, one easy way to begin to curb carbon emissions thus helping in the battle against global warming. By changing your household bulbs to CFLs you will definitely save on your energy bills. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average homes electric bill and CFL’s use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescents. Also, the average CFL bulb will last nine times longer. So what’s the catch, you say?

Most people are unaware of the dangers of improperly disposing of these bulbs once they finally do burn out. It is absolutely imperative that old CFLs are properly disposed of and recycled.

An average CFL contains about 5 milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing (about enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen.) While this is an extremely small amount, it must be kept out of the landfill and disposed of responsibly. And, for some perspective, the amount of mercury released into the atmosphere by smokestacks at our power plants is exponentially higher. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that U.S. electric utilities released 48 tons of mercury in 1999, the latest year for which data is available. This comprises about 40 percent of manmade mercury emissions in the U.S., 10 percent of total North American emissions, and just 1 percent of total global mercury emissions. So the power required to keep your incandescent bulbs burning will be emitting more mercury than the CFL’s that would replace them contain.

It could be that a more adequate lighting solution is just around the bend. Many companies are currently working on improving the technology of bulbs that use light–emitting diodes (LEDs.) While they are available today, contain no mercury and can last ten times longer that CFLs and 133 times longer than incandescents ,they can be very expensive ($50-100+ per bulb) and many people complain that the light given off is not bright enough. But with future scientific and industrial improvements, quality may be raised and costs brought down.  It could be that LEDs will be our next “little darling.”

I do believe that today, changing your household bulbs from incandescents to CFLs is the best choice and the right thing to do, provided that your bulbs are disposed of properly when they need to be replaced. For more information and resources on CFLs, visit:

RecycleWorks of San Mateo County

sfenvironment.org

LampRecycle.org

It is with tremendous pleasure that I welcome you to these new green pages, and to this, my personal green blog. I’m a full-time staff member here at KCSM, but committing to writing this is a labor of love that I am undertaking of my own accord. I am by no stretch of any mind an eco-expert, at least not yet, but what I do bring is a steadfast passion for the cause. I’ve decided to be part of the solution instead of continuing to be part of the problem.

My hope is that by sharing my own experience, you may be able to relate, and to realize that making environmentally-friendly changes is not only attainable without disruption to your quality of life, but can actually make you feel good and be beneficial to your health, your self-image and even your wallet.

My own eco-awakening began, as it did for many recent converts, as a direct consequence of seeing “An Inconvenient Truth.” Prior to that, global warming had not been much more to me than a catch phrase heard in passing, much like hearing about the ozone layer of my ingenuous youth and how the girls of my 1980’s high school days were punching holes into it at the rate of millions of square miles with their ceaseless dependency on Aqua Net.

I was no skeptic about global climate change, mind you, but I didn’t truly understand or realize the enormity of the problem. After seeing the film, while my tired eyes were adjusting to the muted lighting of the Embarcadero theater lobby, I felt shell-shocked, afraid and disheartened: my early “post-Truth” period. But the overall theme that stayed with me in the weeks that followed was that we can change the course that we are on and that we already possess the technology that is required. It is just a matter of convincing the world that it is necessary to change the way we all live.

Recently I’ve begun to see a fundamental shift in the public's perception around global warming and other environmental issues, and I think that we can all feel a consensus growing worldwide. More importantly, I am beginning to believe that we really will make the changes that will make the difference. We’ve tackled seemingly insurmountable environmental problems before and risen to the occasion. After all, when did you last hear mention of the ozone layer? (Or Aqua Net for that matter?)


As my journey continues to unfold, I’ll be documenting the experience here. And I’m committed to sharing with you what I know and what I learn. Will you make the commitment to try making a few green changes of your own? Let’s do this together.

James Ball

Please share your comments and questions with me- email me at green@kcsm.net