Some earth-friendly tidbits

• PACKING PEANUTS – Got packing peanuts leftover from shipments received this holiday season? Instead of sending them to the landfill, visit the Plastic Loose Fill Council Web site at www.loosefillpackaging.com to find a reuse drop-off site in your area. If there are any small mailing stores, a' la Mail Boxes R Us type of place, drop your peanuts off there.
  

• A SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO HOME TISSUE PRODUCTS– The NRDC Web site now features a list of tissues, toilet papers, napkins, and paper towels made from recycled content. If you've not yet made the switch to recycled, and you're looking for more information on recycled products, be sure to consult this very handy resource at www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp.
  

NO MORE JUNK MAIL– If you're looking for a hassle-free way to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, check out Green Dimes at www.greendimes.com. For just $36 a year, your name will be removed from junk mail lists and they will plant one tree per month to help farmers prevent soil erosion, retain water, and block wind so that their crops can thrive.

OFFSET YOUR CO2– Reducing our energy use by investing in energy-efficient vehicles, homes and factories is the best way to combat climate change, but carbon dioxide offsets can help too. In fact, purchasing a $3 EarthCooler™ will offset 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Native Energy invests this money in projects that produce clean, renewable technologies to replace dirty energy from coal, gas, and oil. It also supports projects aimed at capturing methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) from manure on family dairy farms and using it to generate electricity. For more information on EarthCooler and other ways to offset the carbon dioxide you produce, visit www.nativeenergy.com/ec.html