Christmas is just 24 days away, Hanukkah starts in just 10, and Festivus is three weeks away. I'll be spending the next week or two highlighting some of the greener gear that I use everyday as suggestions for presents for the eco-leaner on your list. Yesterday I raved about my New Balance 070s, the greenest trail runners on the block; today it's all about the stocking stuffer.

 

Here are a few things that any sane environmentalist would love to get as a present this holiday season.

 

 

 

A day at the beach this summer wouldn't have been complete without my Kikkerland solar/crank radio. The designers of this smart little radio managed to build its decent sounding speaker into a hip, user-friendly package. It's retro and modern at once and works perfectly -- the solar panel on top provides more than enough power to crank it at full volume when it is in the sun. When the clouds come out, you can crank away to keep the party rolling.

 

 

 

 

 

The Source breaks the mold on toothbrushes. The handle looks impossibly bulbous and the extra wide head looks to be twice as large as your average brush. At first glance it doesn't look like the world's best toothbrush, which, in my opinion, it is. The handle fits perfectly into the palm and the large head really does a great job of cleaning both the teeth and gums. The head pops off for easy replacement and the handles are indestructible and come in your choice of recycled dollar bills, recycled wood or recycled flax. I'd feel naked if I ever had to brush with anything else. Best. Toothbrush. Ever.

 

 

 

 

ArmorLite CFL bulb 

One of the problems with CFL bulbs is the mercury they contain. While manufacturers continue to work to reduce the amount of mercury found in bulbs, the fact is that a cheap and reliable way to go mercury free is still years off. As long as a CFL bulb stays intact there's little danger of coming into contact with the mercury, but what if a bulb breaks? The ArmorLite was design with that in mind and sheaths the bulb in a diffusive rubbery enclosure that would keep any mercury contained in the event of a broken bulb. It gives off good light and comes in two sizes -- a 14W (60W replacement) soft white and a 14W (65W replacement) daylight wide bulb best suited for interior flood lights.

 

 

 

Happy holidays!