3 Power down. Got a few tech-heads on your gift-list? Make sure that whatever gadgets, gismos and appliances you give them are the most energy efficient in town. Look for the Energy Star symbol on new items, hand out rechargeable batteries, and keep an eye out for funky alternative powered tech like wind-up radios and solar powered chargers. And don't forget to switch those energy hogging holiday lights over to efficient LEDs!
4 Make your own coupons. Who needs pricey, impersonal gift certificates when you can make the most of your time and talents by handing out the promise of a guitar lesson, homecooked goumet dinner or one hour massage.
5 Give the gift that keeps on giving. While you're reducing, reusing and recycling your way through the holidays, keep in mind that this is the perfect time of year to adopt a tree in Africa (through the Canadian Physcians for Aid and Relief), an acre of wildlife habitat (through the Nature Conservancy of Canada) or for youngens, adopt a polar bear, panda or tiger in their name (through WWF) and they'll get a fuzzy teddy bear along with an official adoption certificate. Or get something someone somewhere will really appreciate – maybe a goat, or some chickens, even a mosquito net. No seriously. Worldvision.ca and Oxfam.ca offer dozens of gifts you can donate to needy families around the world in someone else's name. It's also something your whole family can feel good about without getting, well, wrapped up in the holiday's consumerism. 
Adria Vasil is the author of the new book Ecoholic Home, and has been writing the Ecoholic column for NOW Magazine since the spring of 2004 and has covered environmental issues for NOW’s news section for four years. Vasil has a degree in development politics and cultural anthropology from the University of Toronto and a degree in magazine journalism from Ryerson. An advocate for the earth, women’s issues and human rights since her teens, Vasil has appeared on MTV Canada and CBC’s Newsworld to promote environmentalism.
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