Green Technology Gift Ideas

While a lot of technology really isn’t all that green some tools can be used to make the impact less. With Christmas coming, I wanted to make some gift suggestions you could give to people who really just love their technology.

Kill-A-Watt

I rather like the concept of the Kill-A-Watt. It’s a good way to find out where you’re wasting energy around the home. There are a few versions available, depending on your needs.

The greenest way to use one of these is to pass it around to others. Find out what’s wasting electricity in your home, then share it with someone else.

Battery Charger

Anyone into lots of tech toys and gadgets probably has need of a good battery charger. While there are solar battery chargers out there, I prefer to also have one that plugs in.

At a minimum, you want one that can charge AA and AAA batteries, as these are so commonly used. But if you’re shopping for someone who has kids, you probably want one that also charges C, D and 9 volt batteries. We have a Rayovac one, and it works quite well.

eBook Reader

I have mixed feelings about these. I love paperback books and used book stores. Overall, that’s the best option, I think. Or the library. I reread books enough to prefer owning them myself.

But ebook readers are popular right now, and for some they may be the right idea. No wasted paper, and downloading electronic books is certainly more efficient on shipping. It comes down to how the disposal of the electronics goes after for whether or not this can be green.

There are a few options for ebook readers now. The best known is the Kindle, of course. There are also Sony PRS ebook readers and many others. For people who don’t tend to keep their books, these probably aren’t too bad an option.

I Need to Go Shoe Shopping?

I’m not a big shoe collector. Most of the year in Poway I got by in my sandals, occasionally wearing sneakers when we were lucky enough to get rain. I wear heels even more rarely, although I do have some.

I’ve come to realize that here in Yucaipa boots might just be a good idea for winter.

The thought occurred to me the other morning while walking my daughter to school. I could feel the cold air on my feet even through my sneakers. That’s on a dry morning, temperatures in the 40s, and it’s not really even winter yet.

So I’m starting to look at boots. Seems strange to me, even though I already bought some for the kids. I haven’t had boots in years.

I kind of like the looks of Earth’s Mirage 2. Looks nice and warm. But then there’s the Keen Kaley, which looks more stylish to me.

They’re honestly both a bit more than I’d like to spend. I haven’t spent that much on a pair of shoes in a long time. I’m trying to keep this one reasonable for our current budget, while balancing style, environmental friendliness and function.

Oh, and I have no intention of driving all over town for the right shoes, wasting gas. Thank goodness for the internet, where I can figure out what I’d like and if it can be bought on a regular errand or if I have to have it shipped here.

Tips for an Eco Friendly Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is getting pretty close already, so it’s time to start planning. I posted last year on having a green Thanksgiving, and now it’s time to revisit the topic and see if I have any thoughts to add to it.

Hmm, no, not really. Guess I got it perfect last year.

Kidding folks, kidding.

Last year I suggested decorating with things you have on hand, using natural decorations, organic turkey & produce, less excess, borrowing, limit carbon from travel or stay home, recycle, compost, be thankful for what you have and sharing with the less fortunate. If you want the details, go read last year’s post.

What to add, what to add?

How about a reminder to bring your reusable bags when you go shopping for Thanksgiving supplies? It’s a crazy time of year, but don’t get so behind that you forget the little details like that.

Also consider turning your heater down just a couple degrees if you haven’t already. Sweaters are good for helping you to cope, and having company warms the house a little too.

If you’re buying a turkey it’s kind of hard to take the focus off of it, but do your best to have interesting side dishes that don’t include meat. All that meat can be used in smaller quantities for a number of meals if you don’t go through it in one nights. Just cut up the excess and freeze it for later use to avoid the inevitable turkey boredom.

The Eat Well Guide may help you find the right kind of turkey and produce in your area. It’s nice when you can get free range or organic. LocalHarvest.org is another good resource.

Candles are a popular decoration at this this time of year. Try to find beeswax candles rather than the usual paraffin ones. Beeswax burns much cleaner.

And of course, just do what you can to minimize waste. It’s easy to get caught up in the tradition of having too much, so just try to be sure that your “too much” isn’t so much that the leftovers won’t get eaten before they spoil.

Use Reusable Shopping Bags – Green Step by Step

The number of paper or plastic bags you can generate simply from grocery shopping is pretty horrifying if you think about it. Even if you send them in for recycling, that’s a lot of waste for something that a reusable bag can do so much better.

You can get reusable shopping bags at many stores for a dollar or so these days. They aren’t bad, but not all of them last well. If you’re looking at the long term, do consider spending a little extra for a quality bag. Then you’ll also have your choice of materials and style, rather than a store logo or something.

More and more stores are giving nickel discounts for bringing your own bags. Target and CVS are starting programs; it’s not longer just the little guys.

The challenge is in remembering to bring your own bags, of course. Figure out if keeping them by the door, in the car, in your purse, with the shopping list or something else works to help you to remember your bags.

Change Lightbulbs to CFL as They Burn Out – Green Step by Step

I’m going to try a new occasional feature, Green Step by Step. The idea is to focus on the simple things one can change to live a more environmentally friendly life.

Changing your burnt out bulbs to CFLs or other high efficiency, long lasting bulbs is one of the simplest things you can do. In many areas you can find CFLs that are quite inexpensive due to support from the local power company, or you may be able to get them directly from your power company. These will generally just be the basic ones; if you need some that work with a dimmer switch or for other special situations you may still need to pay full price.

Even so, a good CFL saves more on your power bill per year than it costs. It’s a difference that’s hard to see but is definitely there.

Eventually, LED bulbs are expected to be a better choice, but there aren’t many good ones on the market. There can still be issues with brightness and color of light. Hopefully eventually they’ll be worthwhile.