Christmas Gifts for the Environmentally Conscientious - Need to Find Websites On-line and Selling Items in October Prior to Publishing This

Excuse me, Christmas during an economic downturn gives gift-givers more reasons to give out environmentally conscientious gifts. Included in this list are the prices as well as where to find these items, so that you can relax this holiday season instead of going frantic.

"These make great items for a hurricane gift basket."

"Or, you never know when you're going to need something that works even if the electricity stops working."

Those are just two of the assertive rebuttals to critiques from friends and relatives who need these items, who just need to be turned on.

Remember the "atomic bomb shelters" of the nineteen-fifties that everyone laughed about later, that gave everybody something to do? We can duplicate this fun now by creating "hurricane shelters" and "global warming" shelters today, and experience nostalgia with a new twist.

Let's get to the list.

1) Hand crank (kinetic) radio (or emergency television) - the broadcasts are actually bearable, even with the sub $30 Phillips model. Grundig as well as a few other manufacturers sell these to the public. I've seen a few of these at various Radio Shacks, Sharper Image stores, as well as at truck stop gift shops.

2) Solar-powered television (works better) I forget where on the web I saw this...

3) tofu fiber tee shirts and boxer shorts, found in an ad in Vegetarian Life magazine, for only $18...

4) Macy's organic cotton tee shirts, made in Peru, only $26. Whole Foods Markets also stocks organic cotton tee shirts, as does Wild Oats.

5) Re-useable grocery or shopping bags, also found at your local public library, price range, .99 cents to $5.00, even better with a gift card to the store inside.

6) New Belgium Brewery beer - the plant is completely powered by solar power and wind power.

7) Stock in a company that is a solar, wind or geothermal business...Here are the companies I am going to keep track and do more research regarding prior to making any recommendations. Denzo (DNZOY), makes hybrid car parts, Photovoltaic (PVSO), makes solar cells, US Geothermal (HTM), owns a few geothermal plants, Gamesa Corporacion Technologica (GCTAF), makes windmills, Zep Inc. (ZEP), a major manufacturer of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, Solar Thin Films Inc. (SLTN), manufactures lightweight solar energy products, Solar Power Inc. com (SOPW) manufactures solar cells.

8) A US savings bond - save up for future purchases if what you want to get is not to be found.

9) The solar-powered outdoor shower system, I forget what magazine I initially found this in, I remember that the cost was between $300 and $500.

10) Solar powered driveway lights, the sets cost between $9.99 and $30.00. These are cute, and the parts are popular science experiments after the pieces begin wearing down a few years down the road, or when locals attack them. These things are cheap and inexpensive to replace, in some cases, the company will replace the parts free of charge. These lights also make wonderful indoor emergency lights when the power goes down.

11) Hand-crank or shake emergency flashlight - I love these things, the basic models cost less than $10 and amaze people. They fit into a stocking nicely and a few, more expensive varieties play music or give a light show.

12) Metal detector, $79.00 - $200, with a junior version for sale for $34,95 at National Geographic stores.