Aaron Cohen

Dear Mom: My Green Wishlist

Wednesday Nov 22, 2006

Hi Mom,

Here is the green wishlist I promised you. I don't really expect you to get me the solar-powered messenger bag as the Timbuktu bag Sun gave away at JavaOne during Bike to Work week is working just fine.

I understand your anxiety now with such steep eco requirements for Hanukah this year (and every year). I am glad I took the time to create a shopping list for you.

Froogle was pretty buggy and so I don't recommend anyone use it unless they have a lot of patience and time (I was sick in bed). It also doesn't find every gift out there very easily. Neither did Amazon. In fact, I have found the green-wishlist-making chore a big pain. There really is not a good site out there yet to find green gifts. I looked at all the top results in Google, including NRDC, Sierra Club, and an old Wired article. Not much there really.

Then I went to my old standbys - WorldChanging, Treehugger.com, and a few others I am sure. But lo, nothing was satisfactory. I had to do it the hard way, one website at a time, with very specific search criteria such as 'recycled rubber briefcase'. I guess nothing really ever changes. If your mother is like mine and just wants you to tell her what to get you, there's no better way than picking out the gift yourself and making her job that much easier.

There was a good comment though that I did not think of on my previous post that another gift idea are music gift certficates.

Oh, and as for wrapping paper, how about this year use grocery bags or material from packaging that is currently sitting in your recycling bin.

OK, I'll give you a call now, as I don't think you ever read this blog, not yet anyway:)

Love,
Aaron

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