The Great Green Gift-Giving Guide

Tips from environmental professionals for giving easy-on-the-planet presents that go way beyond the basics.

We asked NRDC's personal shoppers (actually, they're attorneys, scientists and policy analysts) to tell us the best environmentally friendly gift they've ever given or received. We've packed a shopping cart full of their stories, and added some links to help you track down their green gift suggestions.

Nature Lovers

One of the best and easiest ways to remind your loved ones to get outdoors and enjoy nature is to buy them a national parks and federal lands pass. It's a great reminder that there's life beyond the desktop. -- KATE WING is an NRDC policy analyst who works to protect oceans and the fish that swim in them.
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 spent up to two months exploring the Maine woods, learning 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. Going to camp showed me a world that existed beyond our suburban Long Island home, my grandparents' apartment in Brooklyn and our many urban field trips to Coney Island and Manhattan. 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 who is the main architect of NRDC's "Dump Dirty Diesels" campaign.

» 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 is a research associate 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.
I got my dad, who had just retired, a build-it-yourself birdfeeder that came with instructions on how to make your own bird food. He lives in Fresno, where they have so many hummingbirds but you really don't notice them unless you have a feeder. It sat on the shelf for a year until I bugged him to do it -- now he's built four of them just with stuff from around the house! He loves drinking his morning coffee watching the birds. He says it brings him a sense of peace in the mornings. -- ANGELA CALDERON is the office administrator for NRDC's San Francisco office.

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.
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.

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 a staff scientist in NRDC's energy 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.
Anyone -- even a guy like me -- can be a bicycle commuter, but it helps to have a few key pieces of equipment. I have a great rechargeable bike headlight that's so bright it makes oncoming riders squeal in pain. Plus it makes for a safer nighttime commute if you get stuck late at work. Saddlebags that go on a rack on the rear wheel are great for storing work stuff and clothes, and they won't swing around while you huff and puff up a hill. And while real bikers might need $50 gloves and sweat-repellent shirts equipped with heart monitors that cost more than the average bike, I'm perfectly well-served by an old college T-shirt and gloves like these. Finally, get a little bell. It may seem nerdy, but warning someone that you're coming up behind them could spare you a costly wreck. -- JON DEVINE commutes by bicycle (on days when he's not scared off by the elements) to NRDC's Washington, D.C., office, where he works on clean water issues.

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, an internationally recognized expert in recycling and solid waste management, is a senior scientist at NRDC.
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 is the campaign coordinator for NRDC's climate center.

Domestic Gods/Goddesses

Last year, I made holiday cloth napkins for my friends and sisters. Each set of napkins included twelve different holiday fabrics. It works well with fabric remnants-the mix-n-match is what makes it fun (and funny!). It's a quick sewing project -- just hems along each edge -- and easy for kids learning to sew. My friends and sisters have been using their holiday napkins all year. I'm thinking about making some nonholiday napkins this year! -- LEAH FLETCHER is a project attorney in NRDC's energy program.
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

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 clean water project.
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.

Fashionistas

For your fashion-conscious friends and relatives, how about these great bags from Matt & Nat, made with no animal byproducts? Or try Queen Bee -- many of theirs are made from recycled wool felt from textile mills, or old banners. -- KATE WING
I first found out about Green Karat when friends showed me their lovely matching wedding bands. Made of recycled platinum, they were surprisingly affordable and came without all the cyanide and acid heap leaching that's the bitter legacy of modern mining. Green Karat's offerings change frequently and they do custom work, so you can have your bling made to order -- hold the bulldozers. -- KATE WING

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: Green tags 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 a set of six tags from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (worth $120). One tag is equal to 1,400 pounds of avoided air pollution (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.

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

More Green Gift Ideas and
Holiday Resources from NRDC

Give organic coffee from Beantrees -- designed with the earth in mind -- to any java-loving pals. Because it's grown without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or petroleum-based fertilizers, this organic coffee is healthier for the people who grow it, the regions where it's grown and the people who drink it. And we can vouch for the way it tastes: NRDC uses Beantrees coffee in our offices. Try the new "Biogems" blend, created specially for NRDC -- profits go to NRDC. (Tip: When ordering, enter the coupon code "freemug" to get a free travel mug.)
Give an NRDC gift membership. Members receive a year's subscription to Nature's Voice, our highly readable and photo-filled bulletin, a stunning NRDC screensaver, a handy canvas tote bag and the satisfaction of protecting wilderness and wildlife.
Visit NRDC's list of book recommendations to find the perfect books for all the readers on your list.
Give cool T-shirts and hats from NRDC's exclusive "Fight Global Warming" collection. Proceeds from the sales fund NRDC's campaign to stop global warming.
See NRDC's green living links for more green consumer tips.
Visit This Green Life, NRDC's monthly column, for year-round ideas about sustainable living.

While NRDC strongly encourages efforts to "live lighter on the planet," we are not in the business of endorsing products or services. Our staff suggestions and the links that accompany them are meant only to give you some ideas and help you to make your own green-giving decisions.

last revised 11.20.07