Naturalpath

Valentine's day is a conflicting holiday of which people typically fall into two categories. First, the die hard romantics who thrive on the sentiments that Valentine's day brings. Second, the bitter and cynical few who are quick to blame this "Hallmark" holiday as coprorate conspiracy to increase consumption. Regardless, when it comes to socially conscious gifts of the heart there is something for everyone. The Green Guide recently came out with their list of V-Day gift ideas, and below are some of our favs:

WorldofGood.com: Ethically sourced gifts, housewares and accessories.
Organic Style: Buy Organic Roses and 5% goes to charity.
Furturenatural: For Natural and Organic Pampering.
EconsciousMarket: For gifts that support charities (50% goes to a charity).

Whatever category you fall in, single or coupled, take a moment to appreciate all the loved one's in your life. Or, if you prefer to stay cynical and bitter, at least forego the bon bons and consider curling up with some fair trade chocolate instead.

Is there anything that Apple can't do? Granted the company received some attacks from a Greenpeace campaign last spring on its proposed claims to going green. But as transparency rules to mitigate any potential greenwashing, the company introduced the MacBook Air. Beyond being ultra lite and ultra cool, it adheres to some pretty potent green claims.

According to the Apple Website:

MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It consumes the least amount of power of any Mac and is also designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

As green fashion becomes the hottest trend so does the legitimacy of green marketing claims. The New York Times came out with an article titled "A World Consumed by Guilt" discussing the various nuances in the green fashion industry and complexities involved in "sustainable products".  While it is easy to criticize that green products are too expensive, I can speak from experience that manufacturing using sustainable products is a completely uphill battle and anyone who is embracing it in whatever capacity is taking an important challenging  first step.

While Hanukkah certainly does not compare to the religious important of Christmas, nonetheless it is a time of celebration and festivities. As Hanukkah kicks of in its second night, Jews around the globe are celebrating the story of Hanukkah. And of course, no reason to not go green this Hanukkah. Thanks to our friends at Greenthinkers, here are some eco-friendly Hanukkah gifts for your Jewish friends.

While green living is clearly about making healthier choices for ourselves and the environment, it is also about living in a state where social responsibility serves as a guiding force in many of the choices we make. Whether it be through the products we purchase or how we spend our time helping others, we all have an opportunity to look beyond our personal bubbles of convenience and ask ourselves how we can contribute to the world in a greater way. In that spirit, consider gifts that keep on giving this holiday season.  Here are a few organizations definitely worth checking out.

If you survived Black Friday or even avoided it all together as part of Buy Nothing Day, today is your day to make your green mark in cyberspace.  Cyber Monday officially makes its mark today and could be to the antidote to so many green consumers shopping woes.

I was at the grocery store yesterday, and the cashier was checking out the woman in front of me who was buying her thanksgiving dinner - turkey and all. The cashier grabbed the turkey and wrapped it separately. I noticed she became very pale and obessively searched for the hand santitzer and applied it over and over and over. She apologized to me, saying she has been a vegetarian for over 30 years and the juice from the turkey was simply too much for her.

Eco-consumers and thought leaders gather in San Francisco this weekend (November 9-11) for Green Festival San Francisco.

Green Festivals are held four times a year in various cities including Chicago, Seattle, Washington D.C and now San Francisco. According to festival organizers:

In much anticipated hype, NBC is taking its green intitaive to the airwaves and incorporating eco-friendly programming into many of its most popular shows this week.It all kicks off on TODAY with Matt, Al, Ann and Meredith spanning the globe from the Artic Circle to NYC.

It should really come as no surprise, but Al Gore can officially add perhaps the highest honor to his accolade shelf. While the rumor mill has been running rampant, the official announcement was finally made. According to the article: