Web Picks of the Week Picks Archive Current picks ----2006 picks---- ----2005 picks---- ----2004 picks---- ----2003 picks---- ----2002 picks---- December picks November picks October picks September picks August picks July picks June picks May picks April picks March picks February picks January picks ----2001 picks---- Kids' Links By Topic: Clean Air & Energy Global Warming Clean Water & Oceans Wildlife & Fish Parks, Forests & Wildlands Toxic Chemicals & Health Nuclear Weapons & Waste Cities & Green Living U.S. Law & Policy International Issues Nonprofits and Government: Environmental Groups United States Government

• Eco-Friendly Holiday Projects - No matter what holiday you're celebrating this December, Care 2 has tips on keeping the festivities environmentally friendly. For Christmas, the site offers creative ways to decorate your house and trim your tree. For Hanukkah, try making your own dreidels out of cardboard instead of buying the plastic kind. You'll even find tips for celebrating Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice.
  
  
• Global Warming: Holiday Consequences - According to this National Lampoon article, Christmas might be cancelled because the ice caps at the North Pole are melting! Yes, that story's a joke, but global warming is a serious issue. Read NRDC's tips on how to enjoy the holidays and fight global warming at the same time.
  
  
• Eco-Artware.com - If you're looking for recycled gift ideas, this website's options include a bicycle chain bracelet and stationery made from old maps. Visit the craft project page for a resourceful packaging idea that uses empty cereal boxes. For environmental gift ideas from NRDC staffers, check out our book reviews or the Great Green Gift-Giving Guide.
  
  
• E Magazine: Wrapping It Up - This holiday season, take it easy on the trees by buying greeting cards and wrapping paper that are recycled or made from tree-free sources. This article includes lots of links to online stores that carry environmentally friendly paper products.
  
  
• No-Waste Holiday - Did you know that all the packaging material, wrapping paper and food waste associated with the holidays creates an additional one million tons of garbage a week? Find out how you can lower that number this year by reading Reduce.org's tips on reducing waste. The Season's Green-ings page offers fun ways to help the environment while wrapping gifts, decorating your home and planning a holiday party.
  
  
• Backyard Wildlife Habitat - Peanut-buttered pinecones and ears of dried corn probably aren't on your wish list this year, but the creatures that live in your yard will find them mighty tasty! This site lists everything you'll need to create a Christmas tree for wildlife. Start out with a few simple ingredients and soon you'll have the best ornaments of all -- live birds perched on the branches for a bite to eat.
  
  

• Mercury Rising: Bearing Witness to Climate Change - At this website, join environmental photographer Gary Braasch, journalist Bill Dietrich and the One World Journeys team on an expedition in the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica to learn how this famously rich ecosystem is being affected by climate change. The site includes a gallery of photographs that offer evidence of global warming around the world. For more photos by Gary Braasch, see NRDC's Polar Thaw photo album.
  
  
• H2ouse.org - This California Urban Water Conservation Council website offers helpful advice and tips on using less water. Once you've watched the fun Flash animation of water pouring into the homepage, click the "Tour" button to learn how you can save water in different rooms of your house, and visit the "Take Action" section to get started.
  
  
• Seafood Lover's Guide - With a little help from this Audubon website, it's easy to make smart choices about the seafood you eat. The site includes profiles of different types of seafood, answers to common questions about it, and downloadable wallet cards you can carry with you when you head out to dinner. The next time you peruse a restaurant menu, you'll be able to make a choice that keeps the oceans healthy and your tastebuds happy!
  
  
• EnviroHealthAction - This Physicians for Social Responsibility website bills itself as "a place where the health community can learn and take action." It lives up to its tagline, offering links to educational resources and publications on a range of environmental health topics. You'll also find great ways to share your views: Visit the action center to send a message to your legislators, or click on "Communicate with Your Peers" for information on related listservs and online bulletin boards.
  
  
• RiverSmart - This website, a project of the River Network, offers tips on how you can protect rivers by making simple changes around the house. If you're ready to help save water and prevent pollution, take the RiverSmart pledge. Want to get involved in local river conservation efforts? Use the search form to find a nearby organization.
  
  
• Outer Bay Cam - The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Outer Bay exhibit holds a million gallons of water, but this streaming webcam is most impressive for the variety of creatures you'll see swimming by. Keep your eye out for yellowfin tuna, sea turtles and the only oceanic whitetip shark in any aquarium.
  
  
• Nuclear Waste Route Maps - If you don't live near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, you might not be very concerned about nuclear waste storage. A visit to this Environmental Working Group website will bring the problem closer to home. Type in your address to see a map of nearby nuclear waste routes and a list of facts about nuclear waste in your area. For more about safety concerns at Yucca Mountain, read Burial Ground, from NRDC's OnEarth magazine.
  
  
• Reclaiming the Everglades - A collaborative project of the libraries at the University of Miami, Florida International University and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, this website features a collection of historical materials related to south Florida's environment. The site includes a timeline of Everglades history from 1492 to the present, photos, biographies, and -- perhaps most useful -- the opportunity to connect live with an Everglades librarian if you have a question.
  
  
• Reduce Waste: If Not You, Who? - This website from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance is useful whether you live in Minnesota or not. Check it out for easy-to-follow tips on reducing waste in your daily life, facts on why reducing waste is so important and links to related websites.
  
  
• Virtual Parks - If you haven't had a chance to explore the wilderness lately, a visit to this website by photographer Erik Goetze is the next best thing. The panoramic views of natural areas in the United States and Canada will make you feel like you stepped out of your home or office and into a national park. The site includes detailed instructions on how to make your own photographic panoramas -- it's just one more reason to get outdoors and experience nature in person.
  
  
• The Green Squad - This NRDC website (also available in Spanish) helps kids identify and solve environmental problems. Guided by four environmentally conscious students known as the "Green Squad," kids can explore a colorful virtual school room by room, and use the mouse to locate potential hazards. Parents and teachers will find the site useful as well -- the school's library and parent-teacher room offer a wide range of fact sheets and environmental resources.
  
  

Looking for links on a specific subject? Find our complete list, organized by topic, on the Reference/Links page.