The Greening of the Holidays

Ho, ho, ho: We're talking more than putting a pine tree in every room. We're talking about gifts for the eco-friendly folks on your list. In a two-for-one deal, you'll be making the recipient and the earth happy together. A few suggestions:

GreenSwitch (GreenSwitch With Ed Begley): One conveniently located switch turns off every nonessential thing in your home, including your thermostat and electrical lights. Ed Begley—best know for his doctor's role on "St. Elsewhere" and now as an environmental advocate with his own program ("Living with Ed TV")—is endorsing the product.

Solio Charger: Solio has been making solar chargers for some time now, but the latest product is a hybrid that can be used to power everything from an iPod to a cell phone. The charger stores solar energy and converts it to electricity. It comes with a variety of different tips to accommodate your gadgets ($70).

You're running your computer nearly nonstop, so why not have it do something useful like charge your batteries? The USBCell battery works just like any other battery until you pop its top off, transforming it into a USB drive. Put the drive into your USB port and you'll recharge your battery (approximately $18).

The Voltaic Solar Bag: That's right. You can power your iPod as you hike the trail. These backpacks use recycled soda bottles to create their solar panels. (And we know that soda bottles deal well with long-term exposure to sun, don't we?)

I call the TerraPass the "get out of jail free" pass. You can make up for all of your environmental transgressions with a donation that offsets your transportation-related energy usage. TerraPass is also selling an LED Tire Alert Pressure Indicator. Pop it on your tire and it'll light up when the tires need air. Inflated tires = better gas mileage. (Price of a TerraPass varies.)

Do you know anyone that can't get out of the office, but yearns to see a tree? They might benefit from the Wooden USB memory Stick décor ($79 for a 2GB drive).

Swipe that Grateful Dead or Simon and Garfunkel LP from a loved one and transform it into a keepsake for time immemorial—an LP-based analog clock.

For the chocoholic, here's a bar that that lives up to green standards. They even feature an endangered species on the wrapper. At $1.89, it's a great stocking stuffer.

Moving up the price ladder, you may want to say it with diamonds. Just say it without "blood diamonds" with the jewelry at Green Karat.

Who said Christmas needs to be white?