Natural Perspectives

Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray

In case you haven’t finished your holiday gift shopping, here are some

ideas for environmentally friendly presents.

Unfortunately, Christmas often means loads of toys that require

batteries. Eventually those batteries wear out and have to be discarded.

Batteries are supposed to be discarded as hazardous waste, but

unfortunately, most people just toss them into the regular household

trash. This is a bad idea because batteries are loaded with heavy metals

-- nickel, cadmium, lead -- things we don’t want leaching into the soil

and our ground water.

There is a way to reduce battery use, at least for some items. Check

out the products offered by Freeplay at Freeplay.net on the Internet. It

makes radios, flashlights, and cell phone rechargers that operate by

hand-cranks or a combination of cranking and solar energy.

How many of us have a flashlight in the car with batteries so dead

that it would be totally useless in an emergency? Here’s a solution. The

Freeplay Sherpa flashlight will operate for eight minutes after 30

seconds of hand cranking, or it can be cranked longer to provide ultra

bright light for 30 minutes or regular light for five hours. When the

light dims, just crank it again. This would make a great item to have on

hand for earthquakes, camping, or simply one of our regular,

run-of-the-mill, power outages.

The Freeplay Ranger AM/FM radio runs on solar, windup, or rechargeable

power and will play for 35 minutes at normal volume on a 30-second

windup. It plays for 25 hours when fully charged. The Freeplay Plus

AM/FM/shortwave radio combines a flashlight and radio for the ultimate in

battery-free emergency preparedness.

For the mobile phone junkie in your life, Freeplay also makes a mobile

phone recharger that operates by cranking. No more missed calls while

cruising down the San Diego Freeway when the batteries go dead. Just plug

in the phone, crank away, and you’ll be able to talk for another five to

six minutes, just long enough to call the ambulance after you crashed

because you were talking on the cell phone while driving! Freeplay

products are available locally at Big 5 Sporting Goods and Sport Chalet

in Huntington Beach, SportMart in Fountain Valley and Sharper Image at

Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

-- An idea for a great stocking stuffer is a tire inflation gauge so

you can check the pressure in your tires. Properly inflated tires not

only save fuel, they prolong the life of the tires. We can’t imagine any

woman who wouldn’t want this nifty tool instead of another useless piece

of jewelry. No, we can’t write that with a straight face.

For the budding naturalist on your list, or the new retiree, think

about a gift of binoculars, birding field guide, a couple of bird feeders

and a bag of birdseed. It could start a new hobby. Lou’s brother, George

Wilson, is an avid NASCAR fan and Harley rider. We gave him this gift one

year and he still hasn’t forgiven us. But he’s learned the names of most

of his common backyard birds and gained a new appreciation for the beauty

of nature. He even participates in annual environmental cleanups now. You

never know from where the next convert to conservationism will come.

Give a gift that will last a lifetime. Our local Tree Society can help

you plant a tree in someone’s name in Huntington Beach’s Urban Forest.

This is a gift that will give shade, oxygen and shelter for birds well

into the next generation and beyond. Long after that sweater has gone out

of style, a tree will still grace the landscape with beauty and be a

lingering remembrance of your generosity.

Speaking of trees, consider getting an evergreen that you can plant in

your yard after the holidays. While a cut tree looks and smells wonderful

for Christmas, a few days later it is simply one more thing to be hauled

off to our landfills.

Our local organizations that do good work for the environment could

use a helping hand, so think about a gift membership in the Amigos de

Bolsa Chica, Bolsa Chica Land Trust, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, or Wildlife

Care Center.

As you go through your gift list, think about the impact the gifts and

their wrappings will have on our landfills, on global warming, and on our

air and water quality. As you make your choices, try to reduce the

negative impact of Christmas giving on the environment. For example,

consider reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper. When we make wise

and thoughtful choices in our gift giving, we can help make Planet Earth

a better place for us all to live in peace and harmony. Merry Christmas

to you all.

* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 vicleipzig@aol.comf7 .