A tree! One of the greatest natural defences against climate change .. If not an actual tree, then, even better, why not a tree sapling (Christian Aid), a ‘miracle tree’ (Vita), an olive tree or a gift of seeds and tools (Trocaire)?
Totes eco-brella – an umbrella made from 78% recycled materials (Arnotts, Dublin €26).
Ecoescape: Ireland by Catherine Mack (Markham Publishing €11.69), a handbook to responsible escapism within Ireland, is packed full of ideas for eco days out and green places to stay with suggested slow ways to get there!
An office worker might appreciate a copy of Greening Your Office by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert (Green Books £4.95), a handy little book with practical, easy to implement advice. Suitable for the self-employed as well as global organisations, it suggests simple things to do in the office to help reduce waste, save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Those who enjoy reflective music and the sounds of nature will love a Brother Seamus CD. A contemplative monk of the Servants of Love community, Wicklow, Seamus Byrne tours internationally with his Celtic music concerts, singing and playing Irish flute, whistle and bodhran as well as an apache spirit flute. His CDs combine soft, relaxing instrumental music with the natural sounds of birdsong, rivers and the sea. Relaxing and inspiring! See HYPERLINK http://www.brotherseamus.com www.brotherseamus.com.
Anyone wishing to keep abreast with the latest in environmental matters will appreciate a subscription to Sustainability (www.sustainability.ie) or The Ecologist (www.theecologist.org). Younger people might appreciate a subscription to National Geographic Kids (www.ngkids.co.uk.)
Eco savvy teenagers will love The Carbon Diaries, a novel by Saci Lloyd (Hodder £6.99). It is based on a fascinating premise: that, in a drastic attempt to stop global warming, a switch from 21st century living (cars, mobiles, laptops, foreign holidays, rampant consumerism etc.) to an austere restriction on each individual’s carbon footprint takes place on an arbitrary date – 1st January 2015. Seventeen-year-old Laura Brown charts her eccentric, dysfunctional family’s year through diary entries that are both amusing and haunting. Printed on recycled paper, naturally!
You Can Save the Planet – a Day in the Life of Your Carbon Footprint (A&C Black £8.99) would make a great present for any young person (age 10+) who would like to learn more re environmental matters. Including a six-month ethical living diary, it is a great introduction to carbon footprints, Fairtrade, food miles etc and shows how small changes in everyday life can make a real difference to the future of our planet.
Younger children will love the brightly illustrated George Saves the World by Lunchtime (Eden Project Books £5.99) in which the young protagonist saves electricity, recycles rubbish, repairs his toys and visits a farmers’ market. Children will learn about recycling in a light-hearted and vibrant way.