(ARA) - Gifts of salon services, pricey jewelry or calorie-laden chocolates no longer "cut it" for the holidays. To show someone you really care, your gift has got to be "green" as well.
Numerous polls show that the majority of Americans are concerned about the environment. That concern increasingly translates itself into all aspects of our lives - from recycling aluminum cans to carpooling and ensuring our homes are energy-efficient. The holiday season is no different, as green gifts continue to grow in popularity.
Here are some green gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list:
* Battery-free flashlight - Everyone's been in this situation - the lights go out, you reach for the flashlight (amazingly, you know exactly where it is), flick the switch and get nothing. The batteries are dead, probably because you haven't used it in more than a year. Now, you're just going to throw out the dead batteries, adding to the stream of toxic waste going into our nation's landfills.
Nearly everyone on your list could benefit from a flashlight that never needs batteries and is as easy to recharge as a few shakes of the wrist. The NightStar Renewable Energy Flashlight is the original battery-free flashlight, introduced in 1997. Charge the light by shaking it, and the flashlight will provide up to 20 minutes of high-quality illumination up to 50 feet. Available at Ace Hardware, REI Sporting Goods and Target stores, through Orvis catalog retailers and other online outlets, the NightStar flashlights cost $19 to $39. To learn more, or to find a retailer, visit www.appliedinnotech.com/ara.php.
* Bicycle - Video games may have bumped the bike down in rank as an every kid "must have" holiday gift, but the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association says bike sales have grown more than 18 percent in the past two years. A bike is a green gift in many ways - it contributes to the user's health without adding to the tons of greenhouse gases already poured into our atmosphere from combustion engines.
Bicycling can be as enjoyable for a solo rider as for a group, providing mental health, as well as physical, benefits. A bike is an ideal mode of transportation for short commutes, since the exercise releases endorphins in the brain and allows the rider to relax. By riding a bike to work, you also avoid today's wallet-walloping gas prices. You can spend as much or as little as you like on a bike - from just $10 if you buy a basic model through the local want ads, to thousands for the most modern multi-speed styles.
* National Parks Pass - For the avid traveler on your list, consider a gift that allows him or her to cash in on one of America's greatest natural wonders - our National Parks system. For just $50, you can give a National Parks Pass that provides admission to any of hundreds of national parks charging an entrance fee - for both the pass holder and anyone accompanying the holder in a private vehicle, according to the National Parks Service.
Your gift will also support on-going programs and projects at national parks; 80 percent of the proceeds from National Parks Pass sales goes back into the parks system. You can buy a pass at any national park where an entrance fee is charged, online at www.nationalparks.org or by calling (888) 467-2757 (GO-PARKS).
