When out shopping for groceries or household products it’s easy to get confused about which products are good for the environment and which ones are merely pretending to be. Many companies have jumped on the “Eco-friendly” bandwagon in the last few years and are taking advantage of consumers’ interest in environmentally conscious products.  This act of capitalizing on the popularity of the environmental movement is known as green washing and is sadly a common sight in supermarkets around the country.

As consumers, we have the responsibility to purchase products that are in line with our own moral guidelines. We also have the right to know how our products are made and if they were created through environmentally friendly means. We must be careful not to be confused by companies trying to green wash their customers.

Luckily there are a few organizations out there trying to help make the choice easier. Good Housekeeping recently announced a new green seal to designate products that are less harmful to the environment. Green Guard also serves to inform customers about which products are truly good for the planet.

But even with standards like these it is not easy to be sure that the product you are about to buy is as green as it says it is. NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company has put together a list of tips to help consumers determine what products are really living up to their claims.

Here are just a few points to keep in mind next time you are at the store;

• Be aware of products that make vague overgeneralized claims such as “all-natural” or “fully organic” on the box. These buzz words can mean a lot of different things and to varying degrees. The more specific the packaging is the better.
• Avoid products that try to exaggerate their green-ness. For example any product that touts “CFC-free” is trying to trick you. CFC’s have been illegal for over a decade and thus this claim is no longer worth mentioning.
• Examine the ingredients list. Look for heavy chemicals or ingredients with names that are hard to pronounce. Odds are high that if it has a long scientific name it’s not natural or good for the environment.
• Also check out the directions and warning labels. Any product that warns against using the product in enclosed areas or to keep away from pets and children is probably choke-full of harmful chemicals. Remember if it’s bad for you it’s bad for the environment. Try to pick products with low amounts of warnings or use restrictions.
• Look at the packaging. A product that’s Eco-friendly could still be sold in a box or wrapper that isn’t. Make sure what you are buying is all over Eco-friendly not just the insides but the outsides as well. Look for products that have paper or cardboard packaging and avoid items in heavy plastic containers that will be harder to recycle.
• Finally don’t be fooled by simple images of trees, flowers, the sun or other symbolic displays of nature on the box or packaging. I feel this should almost go without saying but I know I have been lured in on more than one occasion by a box that appeared greener than it really was.

For more tips check out the NSF Web site or any of the green standard sites such as Good Housekeeping or Green Guard.

Shopping in a green way can be challenging but the reward of actually finding Eco-friendly products is certainly worth it.

Happy shopping!

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a nation-wide event to celebrate our one and only planet Earth. Most of us grew up celebrating and learning about this holiday in our classes every year, and maybe even attended a parade or clean up in its honor. Maybe your parents were extra environmentally-aware and had you go out and pick up trash or plant a tree in previous years. We should not take the fact that we grew up saturated in eco-friendly education for granted.

The history of Earth Day reaches back more than 40 years during the Kennedy administration. It wasn’t until Nixon that we officially saw the establishment of an official Earth Day, which tied in with the creation of what we now know as the Environmental Protection Agency. Both of these were created during April 1970 to tide the growing concerns the American people had about their government’s role in the environment.

College students should take note: it was specifically because of the work of college age students during that time that raised the necessary awareness to create Earth Day. Students at that time were protesting for a handful of reasons from civil rights to the war in Viet Nam. But one of their biggest concerns was the environment issues, and how they should be dealt with by the government. In response to the outcry by the people, the government created the EPA to watch over and guide environmental policy throughout the country.

Earth Day was created around that same time to raise awareness to the many environmental issues that were present during that era, and to spread information on how we can better treat the planet.

Since its creation Earth Day has served as a yearly reminder to treat the planet with respect and care as it’s the only one we have. Thousands of organizations and businesses donate money to environmental charities or offer service projects to improve their communities on this holiday.

But is it enough? Some environmental organizations would say no. Grist.org, an environmental organization and news source has created the “Screw Earth Day” campaign. The goal of this campaign is to get people to start ignoring Earth Day, and start viewing every day as a good opportunity to help the planet. Why only think about the Earth one day a year when the problems persist all year long?

Grist offers a list of activities and habits we should all adopt on a daily basis to reduce our impact on the Earth. Waiting around for Earth Day once a year is not going to be enough to combat some of the problems we are facing. Their list includes unplugging appliances when not in use, recycling at home and at work, eliminating the use of plastic water bottles and plastic shopping bags, and reducing the amount of meat in your diet. Even just one day of vegetarianism would greatly reduce the amount of emissions created by cows and the transportation needed for the meats.

Celebrating the Earth is something we should continue to do on a yearly basis. We should use Earth Day to remind ourselves of all the wonders that nature provides. But when it comes to actually doing our part to conserve and protect, those are things we should carry with us every day.

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The harsh winter is finally behind us and now we can sit back and enjoy the wonders of spring and summer. But just because the seasons are changing that doesn’t mean we should change our energy-efficient habits.

There are still a lot of little things we can do every day to help reduce our energy use our impact on the planet and our monthly bills.

One of the best ways to utilize the new weather is to optimize windows and doors for shade. Use or install curtains on all windows to reduce the amount of light, and therefore heat that enters your home. By cutting out unwanted heat you will drastically reduce the need to cool your place.

Of course this technique should be used wisely, as the less sunlight you allow into your home the less natural light you’ll have and the more you’ll have to rely on lamps and over head lights. The amount of energy used by lamps and lights could cancel out anything saved in air conditioner use, so be careful of that as you plan. Use curtains and window shades to find the right mix of indoor and outdoor light, depending on the time of day.

Another great tip is to watch your appliance use. Appliances suck up a lot of energy not just when in use but also when not being used as well. Any appliance left plugged in still draws energy from the wall even if the appliance is turned off.

This energy that is lost during inactivity is known as vampire energy and can account for up to two percent of your monthly energy bill.

So when using or purchasing appliances make sure they are energy efficient. Energy Star is one of the highest rated standards for energy efficiency in appliances so look for their seal of approval. Then once you are done using the appliance be sure to unplug it.

Speaking of appliances fans are one appliance that get brought out in mass quantities this time of year. It is important to realize when using fans that they are designed to cool the people in the room not the room itself. Fans work to lower your temperature but do nothing to the actual temperature of the room. So when you leave a room remember to turn off any fans (electric or overhead) along with the lights. If it’s plugged in be sure to unplug them as well.

Those who are interested in taking a more involved role in managing their energy use should talk to their landlords or property managers about making renovations to your apartment or house to make it more efficient.

There are a handful of things that could be improved in any home to reduce the energy output or to increase its ability to stay cool during the summer.

Better insulation could be installed to properly trap in the cold air and release the heat.  Also see if a house fan could be installed. Working in place of an air conditioner unit, a house fan sucks in cool air and pushes out the hot air. Check your home for cracks and leaks in windows and doors to see if any of the cold air you are generating is leaking out.

For a cheap investment you could install your own personal solar power panels that could power most of the appliances in your home. The panel, which could be bought for a little as 60 bucks, would hang on an outside window and draw power straight from the sun. That power could be converted into energy to charge appliances and electronics you would typically plug in.

There are lots of ways to save energy during the summer and spring months. The more that we do to conserve energy the less resources we use and the better off the planet will be. And, for you personally, you will see the difference in your energy bills.

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We all hear about corporate responsibility when it comes to the environment. We look towards corporations to lead the way in design and ideas to better our planet and to reduce our carbon footprint. And, when the company spills a tanker of oil or releases too much pollution, we expect them to find ways to make up for it. This can include carbon offsetting, or the planting of trees to donating to environmental groups like The Nature Conservancy.

But what is expected of the individual? Most of us are not part of a billion-dollar, multinational company. We are just normal citizens and consumers. What kind of responsibilities to the environment should the individual have?

To answer that question we must first determine what impact the individual has on the environment. It should be logical that what we owe can only be set once we know what we are been given.

Obviously the by-products of the environment are numerous and obvious. We receive all the necessary requirements for life from the Earth: food, water, shelter and oxygen. More than that we live in a society that can provide the most important of those needs, water and air, for free.

Looking further we see we use the Earth’s resources for our own gain. We use wood for fire, oil for fuels, and crops like cotton for clothes and other materials. These are all items we generally consider were put on the planet for our use.

With all of these gifts, it would seem our responsibilities should be as frequent to match. But we are given, or rather have assigned ourselves, very few chores to maintain the environment around us, on a person to person level. Most people don’t recycle or reuse items. Even more don’t use public transportation or transportation besides driving, which would greatly reduce our use of fuels.

Now some of us might be out doing our part for the environment, through recycling or eating local or vegetarian options, but these people are exception to the rule. A majority of society considers environmentalism a fad at best and at worse a group of hippies trying to convince the world that the sky is falling.

If everyone is allowed to enjoy the benefits of a good ecosystem, the clean air and the drinkable water, why should they not be forced to join in on the work that comes along with it?

Now surely more people will catch on to the wave of environmentalism, but it might not be until the side effects of a mistreated planet begin to spread. Once the smog and the smoke that is only currently found in the bigger cities moves throughout the country people will begin to realize the depth of the situation. They will seem upset they had never realized before the dire situations had spread, and will wonder why they could do then to offset it.

But once we reach that point we would be too late. We all need to be striving now, before we can see the problem materialize before our eyes, to prevent this world of smog and smoke from becoming a reality.

So what does it mean to take individual responsibility for the environment? In part it means cleaning up when you see some trash, whether or not it’s yours. It means reminding yourself to walk to campus instead of drive. It means ordering your drink when you’re out to dinner in a regular cup and no Styrofoam.

The most important thing you can do as an individual is spread the word about environmentalism. The more people that are out there discussing the importance of taking on environmentally friendly concepts, the better the outcome will be. Use your voice as a person to help turn the tide on the mindsets people have about environmentalism.

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My mom recently got a Kindle as a gift. For those of you not in the know, the Kindle is the latest in the line of e-readers: devices that allow you to electronically download and read books, magazines, and newspapers.

My mom has always been a big reader, so she was weary of this device that was supposed to take the place of her books. But within the first week she was hooked and now does almost all of her reading through her Kindle.

Around the same time my dad decided to sort through his massive CD collection to see what he could sell. Out of his 400 CDs or so he eventually decided to sell more than half of them. He said there was no reason to hold onto them since all the music was stored on his Itunes.

Both of these events were extremely surprising to me. First of all, I couldn’t believe my parents owned Kindles and iPods and I didn’t. More importantly, I was surprised to see my parents so willingly give up items that were so near and dear to them, their books and CDs, in exchange for their electronic counterparts.

Besides the obvious argument that any new technology is good technology, the leading reason most people support the transition from print media and material goods to the digital realm of the internet and iTunes is because it saves resources, and thus is better for the environment.

Paper isn’t turned into books and plastics aren’t wasted on CDs and covers. Not to mention the amount of energy put into transporting, stocking, selling and repairing these things.

With those factors in mind, it does seem like the naturally better choice to move from the tangible to the immaterial digital copy. But, the digital copies are not without their own consequences.

What about the amount of energy needed to create the machinery, the Kindles or iPods? Certainly there is a decent amount of water, oil, and other resources used in that process. And then there is the energy used to power those items and to keep them charged.

A Kindle might need charged every two and a half days and requires so much energy per charge. Compare that to a paperback book: once the book is created it requires no further energy, and can last a hundred years if properly cared for.

A Kindle, even kept in the best condition, has a shelf life of maybe 10 years. And even that is a stretch with the way technology is constantly being updated.

And then there is the matter of waste. Books, though full of precious resources (or maybe because of it) have one advantage: they will degrade much faster than any electronic waste. Electronics degrade at a much slower rate especially if they are not disposed of in the proper fashion.

Our society does not have a great system in place to deal with electronic waste, and as we continue to progress towards a more digital world we need to keep this in mind. We must adapt to our new consumerist habits and learn how to properly manage our waste whether it’s natural or digital.

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Last issue, I discussed the Clinton Global Initiative University, a national annual conference hosted by Bill Clinton to bring together the best and brightest new ideas from campuses all over the country. The goal of the conference is to share ideas about what your campus is doing to improve their community and the environment. ESU has been chosen to attend this conference and the Environmental Club, of which I am a member, will be representing the school.

Our project is two-fold: to implement new technology to reduce the school’s energy costs and create a comprehensive education program to inform the campus why energy conservation is important.    While the technology aspect of the plan is relatively simple, smart strips that automatically shut computers off when not in use, the education portion will be more involved. It relies on making adjustments to peoples’ mindsets, which is a much more complicated process than simply plugging in a smart strip.

When most people think about the things we need to conserve energy is pretty far down on their list of priorities. Objects like trees and endangered animals are tangible: we can see them, touch them, and notice when they aren’t around anymore.

But energy is immaterial and thus harder to measure. That’s why we all rush to help save polar bears, but forget to turn off the lights when we leave a room. Many people fail to see the connection between the two acts of conservation.

Whether we use a kilowatt or ten kilowatts of energy doesn’t matter to us because we can’t see the difference. There will be a difference on our meters, and eventually on our bills, but we won’t feel the difference the same way we would with the other items we are told to conserve.

I think part of the problem is that few people have a deep understanding of where their power comes from. I willingly admit that I don’t fully know how power arrives to my apartment. I know that it involves fossil fuels, petroleum, coal and possibly nuclear power, but I know little about how that is transformed into what lights my house.

When we talk about conserving energy we really mean conserving the resources that produce the energy. We should change the mindset to involve the concrete: the material used in the first few steps, instead of seeing it as the intangible final outcome.

So how does this relate to campus? Our project relates to reducing computer energy use. We’ve all seen how the campus computers are left on constantly; over the weekends and at night.  The goal of our project is to inform the campus why it is important to take that extra moment to shut off your computer when you are done for the day.

There are numerous reasons to do this. First and foremost it saves the school money. Lower energy bills are the most immediate savings. But computers will last longer if properly managed, and turning them off lengthens their shelf life.  This goes for monitors, printers and projectors as well.

Secondly, and more abstractly, it’s better for the environment. It means less energy is created, less energy is transported and fewer resources are consumed.

The most challenging part of this project will not be informing people of these facts. It will be getting them to care about the facts. Just because it’s good for the Earth, or the university for that matter, why should it affect how you life your life?

Through the Clinton Global Initiative we will share the multitude of reasons why a healthier more efficient campus will positively affect you as a student or employee. To the same degree we will show why a healthy and well managed planet can benefit you. It goes beyond simply “doing what’s right.” There are clear, measurable benefits that await us, once we are willing to make the simple changes.

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Last week I received an email of epic importance. The Clinton Global Initiative has officially invited ESU to attend their yearly conference in Florida in April. To understand why this is so exciting, let me explain what CGI is. The Clinton Global Initiative is a mufti-issue foundation created by former President Bill Clinton to combat some of the world’s biggest problems.

            The group meets once a year to discuss solutions and policies that could be enacted to fight some of the global concerns. These issues range from energy and climate change to global health, from  human rights and peace to poverty alleviation. The group is a gathering of city leaders, non-profit organizations, students and community members from around the country who are interested in working together to face these problems.

            Clinton Global Initiative University is the same basic principle but to the scope of colleges around the country. The goal of CGI U is to address the biggest issues facing the modern university, mainly environmental sustainability and support for the local community.

            So what does this have to do with ESU?

            The ESU administration approached Environmental Club last winter and requested we submit a project for CGI U.

            That’s where our project comes in. Working with multiple departments on campus including TCS and the physical plant, we have put together a project that could save the school thousands of dollars in energy conservation.

            Our project contains two main components: a comprehensive campus wide audit of energy used by the computers and computer accessories, and the implementation of smart strips in all computer labs to reduce the energy use of the computers.

            The first part seems almost too basic to include in a project like this, but we were surprised to find out the school did not already possess this information. We are gathering data as to how much energy is used by the computers on campus. This includes when they are being used, when in standby mode, and when turned off. Computers, like a lot of electronics, still use energy when plugged in, even when turned off. This energy audit also includes related electronics such as the monitor, speakers, and printers. 

            Currently energy information, as well as the cost associated with it, is gathered on a campus-wide level as there is no way to properly gauge what each building is using individually. Our audit will break the information down by buildings to better understand where the most energy is being used.

            This information will be monumentally helpful to the campus, as it can be used as a base for all other projects in the future. In order to implement new ideas such as the smart strips, we must first have an idea of how much energy is being used, so we can properly estimate how much will be saved.

            Once we have an idea of the state of energy consumption on campus we can discuss plans to reduce use.  One of the best ideas presented so far is the use of smart strip technology. These strips, which look like regular surge protectors, would shut down everything that is plugged in once the “main” item was shut down, in this case the computer itself. So if the computer is shut down, the monitor, printer, and speakers would shut down as well. We feel this would drastically reduce the amount of energy that is lost to idle time or when the computer is left on over weekends and after hours.

            In the next issue of The Bulletin, I will discuss the other half of our CGI project – the educational aspects.

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We’ve all been told that protecting the environment is of the utmost importance, but do we ever stop and question why that is? What is it exactly about nature that we are trying to preserve? Is it the same for everyone? Does it matter why we are motivated, as long as we are helping in the end?

These are questions addressed by the field of environmental ethics.

This branch of philosophy focuses on the ideals and viewpoints found within the realm of the environmental movement. Environmental philosophers examine what shapes society’s opinions on nature, and what the consequences of those viewpoints are.

Here at ESU you can take Environmental Ethics with Professor Charles Brown in the Social Sciences department. I was able to take the class last year and it drastically altered the way I view environmentalism.

With any action, it’s pivotal that we understand our self-interest in the issue. Why do we care about this issue, in this case the environment? What does it mean to us?

Enviro-ethics tries to answer that question by presenting a variety of reason and logic based arguments designed to prove that nature should be revered and protected for its own right, not just because of what it has to offer us as humans.

Enviro-ethics would say that nature is good, not because of its use usefulness to humans, but due to its own inherent qualities. Nature, by the way, is defined as all that is subject to a life, to put in ethics terms. That would include all animals, plants, and ecosystems that exist throughout the planet.

And all things should be equal under the eyes of the planet. A snail, though it gives humans little benefit, is just as valuable as fossil fuels.

Environmental philosophers draw parallels between man’s domination over nature to man’s domination over the female gender, and over ethnic minorities.

The same kind of mindsets that once kept women and minorities from attaining their fully deserved rights are still present in the way we view nature. In the same way we expanded our scope on women and minorities, so should we expand our scope of nature.

This might all sound like a lot of over analysis to some of you. I feel it is important to examine our motivations to a micro level, to better understand why we do what we do.

That being said, there is something to be said about the ends justifying the means. If someone was recycling, but didn’t agree to the tenets of environmental ethics, I wouldn’t stop them from turning in their cans and bottles.

Right now the environmental movement needs all the support it can get, regardless of the reason behind it.

If this is something you’d like to learn more about I highly recommend taking Environmental Ethics with Brown. Also, Environmental Club and Philosophy Club are teaming up for a joint discussion on the morality of environmentalism at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at Javacat.

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Harrison George

Like many of you, I was shocked and disappointed by the recent outburst of cold weather we have been experiencing. I was hoping that the coldest chapter of winter was behind us, but this last week has proven that is not so.

Winter is always a difficult time to be eco-friendly, as staying comfortable typically means running the heater in your home and in your car. We all tend to spend less time outside and use our cars more often.

Though I tell myself every winter this will be the year I break my dependency on my car to get around in the cold, it has yet to actually happen. Emporia is the perfect sized town to walk or bike; you are never more than 20 minutes away from where you are going.

But the bitter windy Kansas cold makes it very difficult to stick to my convictions when it’s time to run errands or get to campus. Add to that the fact that I’m typically running late and it is even more tempting to just hop in my car and crank up the heat.

But, when the will is weak sometimes fate intervenes. Last weekend I left my house to go over to a friend’s place for the evening. As it was late and extra chilly I had already resigned myself to the fact that I would drive.

When I reached my car I was surprised to find it was frozen over completely, to the point where I could not open my doors.

As my scraper was inside my car, I didn’t see any other option but to hoof it the eight blocks to my friend’s house.

The first few moments were tough to say the least. I sped quickly, going as fast as possible without slipping on the ice. I was trying to block out the cold by counting down the blocks in my head. “Only 7 more blocks to go,” I told myself.

But, once I got past the first few blocks, I felt a strange burst of energy. My cheeks stopped burning and started to glow. The cold air was coursing through my lungs and providing my body with a chill blast.

I raised my sights from the icy sidewalks and noticed how serene my surroundings were. The trees were encased in ice, with cycles hanging from branches. The only sound was my boots crunching through the snow.

Before I knew it I had arrived at my friend’s house. I walked in, was warmly welcomed, and basked in the warmth of the heated apartment.

As I wiped off my glasses, which had fogged up, I was surprised to realize I had actually enjoyed my walk. It was invigorating, and I felt completely refreshed.

We spend so much time trying to afford the extremes of nature, the heat, cold, wind, smells; we forget how much the great outdoors can do for us if we let it.

So the next time you start to walk for your car, stop and think it over. Maybe just take a walk instead.

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Harrison George

I am not one to shamelessly plug a company, but I have to tell you about a Web site I’ve found that is helping me change my habits in small, simple ways.

Reusablebags.com is a site for purchasing common everyday items that are environmentally friendly. The key to these items is sustainability; the ability to use them again and again.

The problem with most of the objects we use on a daily basis is that they are one time use only. Paper towels, plastic silverware, to-go boxes, water bottles, etc. These objects take massive amounts of resources to create, and then experience a very short existence from there. Most of them wind up in landfills, or worse, in our rivers and oceans.  Worst of all, due to their composition, they will take thousands of years to properly decompose.

That’s where Web sites like reusablebags.com comes in. They offer a wide range of products that do the same as their plastic counterparts, but have the ability to be used many times over. They also are made of more responsible materials, so that when they are used up they will decompose much easier.

The first product I used from this site was the reusable sandwich bags, which I received as a gift from my family. I take my lunch every day, and typically use Ziploc bags to hold my PB and Js. But with the reusable bag, basically a piece of coated plastic, I can reuse it on a daily basis. I just place the sandwich in the center of the bag and wrap it up, like a Christmas present. The best part is the inside is slick, so cleaning off the excess jelly at the end of the day is no problem.

Another great product is reusable utensils. Spoons, forks and knives are items I always wish I have around when I don’t. I hate having to resort to plastic silverware, knowing I will use it for 10 minutes and it will end up in a landfill for hundreds of years. Wood utensils offer a better solution – they can be stored in pockets, purses or book bags and work just as well. Actually, they work better. They are sturdier and wider, so they are less likely to snap in half.

The widest range of products on resubablebags revolves around shopping bags and water bottles, easily two of the biggest ways to reduce waste quickly. The EPA says the world uses between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags a year. It is also estimated that Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.

You know how every time you go to the store you forget to bring your reusable bag and you’re forced to use plastic instead? Well, multiply that by the 6 billion people on Earth and it’s easy to see why that above number is all too real. The same goes for plastic bottles.

While this site and others like it offer great tools to help us reduce our impact on the planet, it has to be mixed with a mindset of conservation and awareness. We have to remember to do the little things like bring our own bags to the store, to use our Nalgene bottles instead of getting a plastic one, and to walk rather than drive whenever possible. It’s tempting to think these little things don’t matter on a global level, but once they start spreading, and more people do them, they make the difference we need.

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Valentine’s Day is this Sunday, and it’s a perfect time to show your love to those special people in your life and the planet at the same time! Here are a few tips you can put into use when purchasing your Valentine’s Day gifts:

            Use fabric or cloth bags to wrap presents. Instead of using wrapping paper that’s a onetime use, and usually thrown away instead of recycled, how about using cloth to wrap your presents?  There are plenty of sites online that offer cheap fabrics that could be used time and time again to wrap presents. Failing that, use newspapers or old maps in place of wrapping paper. It’ll give it that homemade feel!

            Speaking of homemade, one of the easiest ways to help the planet, and to impress your loved ones, is to make a gift from the home. Most of the gifts we send and receive on holidays are produced and assembled in other countries and shipped here at an incredible cost. Instead of getting your gift from half-way around the world, find out what you have in your very own home. Decorate a picture frame with an important photo, write a story or a poem, or maybe a song about all the reasons you love your gift-recipient. Not only will you be cutting down on the travel of goods, you save money, too.

            Buy local. If you buy all or part of your gifts, make the purchases as local as possible. The shorter your gift has to travel to get to you, the better it is for the environment. Emporia is full of wonderful gift opportunities. Buy tickets to see a movie at The Granada, get chocolates at the Sweet Granada, or maybe a delicious meal at Amanda’s Bakery.

            Avoid diamonds at all cost. I don’t think this will be a major option for most college students, especially in this economy, but I feel the need to say it just in case. The process of mining for diamonds and other jewels is terribly painful on the planet, and creates areas that will not return to normal for hundreds of years. The work being done in mines these days in the name of diamonds is having disastrous consequences around the world. If you want to buy some jewelry, find a more eco-conscious jewel that can be purchased.

            Give gifts they need, not just want. Real love is knowing what a person needs, not just what they want. There are plenty of things out there that we would all like to have, but don’t want to spend the money on. Make this holiday the time to splurge for that someone. Get them a nice reusable mug or thermos to hold their drinks and cut down on use of plastic bottles. Buy them some reusable shopping bags, rechargeable batteries, gift cards to a natural food store, or some eco-friendly bathroom products like shampoo or bath salts.

            If you really want to do your part, talk to your partner about donating money to a good cause. Instead of spending money on each other, pick a good environmental charity and donate the money you would have spent on that. Greenpeace, Humane Society and the World Wildlife Fund are all great places to start.

            No matter what you do, just keep in mind that this holiday is all about love – not just for our friends and family, but for our planet too. Let’s make it a holiday of red and green.

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