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Green Gift Guide 2007
Forget the fair trade coffee and the hand-knitted yak wool slippers, it’s time to go green with the latest cameras, computers, and HDTVs. The exciting high-tech offerings in our 2007 Green Gift Guide show you how to have a fun and eco-friendly holiday season.
by Lee H Goldberg
Finding an Earth-friendly gift for your loved ones doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the local hand crafts co-op anymore -- thanks to the great assortment of energy-efficient, non-toxic, easily-recycled toys, tools, and gadgets that hit the market this year. With more and more mainstream electronics makers embracing eco-design and manufacturing principles, it’s easier than ever to have a green Christmas (or Chanukah or Kwanzaa or Yule, for that matter).
Things have changed dramatically from a couple of years ago when we had to scour the globe for a handful of green tech gadgets to share with our readers. In fact, we found so many well-designed, nicely-priced products that this year’s list represents only a small sampling of what’s available. In order to keep this article from getting too big we’ve even having to post a second buyer’s guide strictly devoted to eco-friendly computers. Over in greenpowerZONE, our Green Computing 2007 report compares notes on three different companies producing so-called green computers and offer a bunch of handy tips on recycling your old machine.
Perhaps the most telling sign that sustainability has moved far beyond the granola-munching fringes of the tech universe is that many of the products in this guide are being marketed by their manufacturers on the basis of their value, performance, or sheer sexiness, with scarcely a mention of the fact that they have a much smaller environmental footprint than their competitors.
So, with Black Friday behind us and a bit less than a month to finish our holiday shopping, it’s time to grab a cup of coffee, warm up your credit card, and check out this year’s eco-tech offerings.
Happy shopping from the crew at EN-Genius!
Green Gifts and Gadgets
Kodak EasyShare ZD710 Zoom Digital Camera
 Armed with a 10x Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical zoom lens, a 7.1 Mpixel image sensor, and enough smarts to make digital photography a snap, the ZD710 is also a great representative of the efforts Kodak has made to incorporate environmental principles into its design and manufacturing system. They co-developed the design with their manufacturing partner, Flextronics, in accordance with global RoHS requirements and is manufactured using ISO 14000 environmental management practices. The product packaging uses at least 25% recycled materials and has been designed for easy recycling. Kodak has gone even further by streamlining its distribution logistics to dramatically reduce the number of miles (and fuel burned) a camera travels before it ends up on a store shelf. It’s also nice to know that the camera power management system (found in most of their other new cameras) helps squeeze much more operating life out of a set of batteries (disposable or rechargeable) than most competing cameras.
While EasyShare cameras are not considered professional-grade products, they offer a great blend of high-quality imaging and ease of use that even a prosumer would appreciate. I’ve used earlier versions of this series and was impressed with both the great pictures they delivered and their well-designed user interface, which I consider the best in the industry. At $229 (list), the ZD710 would find a warm welcome under nearly any Chanukwanzamas tree. See Kodak's web site for more details.
Memorex ReNew Series of Audio and Image Products
 Memorex's ReNew brand of eco-designed gadgets includes a digital music player, an iPod Boombox, an iPod speaker, as well as a digital picture frame and alarm clock. The ReNew line takes a full lifecycle approach to the design, manufacturing, packaging and use of its products. All of the products in the series:
- Are manufactured with partially recycled plastics
- Meet RoHS Standards that restrict the use of hazardous materials such as mercury and lead, which are harmful to the environment and to health
- Are packaged in recycled cardboard
- Feature package inserts that include interior product egg carton trays made from 100% recycled paper
- Include inserts and a website information for consumer education about reuse and recycling
I’ll note here that these are not totally green gadgets in so far as they are not designed for easy recycling, but even the modest improvements that Memorex has made in how they are made and packaged is a big improvement over how things were done even a year or so ago. The products' modest price points ($39.95 for the AM/FM/CD boom box) show that a green design is not necessarily more expensive than a dirty one. See Memorex’s web site for more details.
Big Screens Without Guilt
Flat screen TVs have come a long way from the kilowatt-munching monsters that originally invaded our living rooms a few years ago. Many leading brands of home entertainment equipment are EnergyStar compliant and some even have a sub-1W standby mode that significantly improves overall power consumption in applications where the set is on only a few hours a day. Nevertheless, several manufacturers have gone far beyond these baseline requirements with their own innovative energy conservation techniques. Philips Electronics flat screen TVs, for example, have a backlighting system that varies its level according to both the average brightness of the content and the ambient light in the room. Besides saving up to 2/3 of the normal backlighting power, Philips claims the technology delivers a better contrast ratio and viewing angle.
Equally important, companies like Panasonic, Philips, and Sharp, have paid attention to the back end of their operations and radically changed the way their products are manufactured. One of the best examples of this trend is Sharp Electronics' Super Green initiative, whose mission is to completely eliminate the waste and pollution normally associated with electronics manufacturing. Click here for a virtual tour of Sharp's Super Green manufacturing facility in Kayeama, Japan. Sharp’s ecological values are very evident in nearly all the products they manufacture, including their popular AQUOS LCD TVs, whose average power consumption has been cut in half over their 2001 models. Visit Sharp’s web site for more details on their LCD TVs and other products.
 Panasonic has also made great strides in reducing the environmental footprint of their products. Although they don’t make a big deal about it, they’ve been quietly overhauling their manufacturing processes, reducing their energy consumption, and incorporating recycled and environmentally-friendly materials (such as bamboo speaker cones) into their designs for close to a decade. Their latest plasma TVs, such as the feature-laden, 1080P-capable 42-inch TH-42PZ700U Viera model, reflect all of the lessons Panasonic has learned, including full RoHS compliance and a design that is focused on maximum recyclability. The unit’s estimated 100,000-hour rated life will keep it on the wall and out of the recycling bin for many decades. Like all plasma TVs, it is a bit more power-hungry than its LCD counterparts but its 580 W operating power is considerably lower than many equivalent brands and its 0.2 W standby mode is about as good as anything on the market. With a list price of $1,999.95 and the highest resolution in the industry for a 42-inch set, it’s a nice way to bring HD digital media into your home without messing up the planet. Visit Panasonic’s video products page to see all their plasma TVs, and their less power-hungry LCD products.
Green Wheels
 As I’ve reported in earlier gift guides, electric bicycles are one of the most entertaining ways to lower your carbon footprint that I’ve found. At $850 - $1,500, they make running errands fun and can pay for themselves in a couple of years in gas savings alone. If you’re considering buying one, the ElectricBike web site is a great place to begin your search. This year’s top pick is the ultra-sexy, carbon-framed Optibike series which can cruise as fast as 30 mph and give you up to 50 miles of range. If you’re not prepared to shell out $5,000 - $7,000 for these hand-built beauties, the $1,200 Urban Mover UM-24 Terrain, which features a folding aluminum frame and long-lived Li-Ion batteries, is worth considering.
Electric bikes are really cool, but they may just be a gateway drug to harder-core vices like the new crop of electric motorcycles. At the moment, my personal favorite is the 22 kW Vectrix scooter that I test drove this fall (see the October 2007 review). After spending a couple of hours silently cruising both urban streets and twisty back roads at supra-legal speeds, I’d recommend this rugged, well-designed machine to anybody who has a commute of 25 - 30 miles and $11 k burning a hole in their back pocket.
 The Vectrix will not be the only high-performance electric two-wheeler for long, since Brammo Motors is going to be putting its own electric motorcycle on the market in early 2008. Featuring a carbon frame, a lithium phosphate battery pack and sport suspension, the Enertia will boast a 50+ mile range and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in 3.8 s. At $11, 995, it’s still a tad pricey until you consider the savings in gas and maintenance you’ll enjoy, not to mention the smiles you’ll get when you silently glide along. You can get pricing and tech details at the Enertia web site.
 For the slightly more budget-conscious and extremely sporting, Zero Motorcycles is offering its Zero-X electric motocross motorcycle. At $7,495, it’s a bit more affordable than the Vectrix or Brammo, although it’s not yet rated for street use (an off-track version is expected some time in 2008). Designed to compete head-on with 250 cc gas machines on rugged MX tracks, this sub-150 lb monster features a 23 hp motor that’s software-programmable for various skill levels, plus a military-grade frame, suspension, and brakes. When you’re not drifting turns at full throttle, it will squeeze 40 - 60 miles out of its 58 V Li-Ion power pack.
Green Toys
Thames & Kosmos Power House Sustainable Technology Experiment kit
 This is one of the best toys I’ve seen in a long time for kids who like to tinker. It is sort of a cross between a role-playing game and those old-fashioned science kits that will engage both the geeky science-oriented types and most other kids that simply enjoy imaginative play. The generously-equipped kit contains a toy house, lots of materials (including solar cells) and a manual that reads like a lively adventure story.
Using a scenario set on a desert island, the players are led through a series of nicely-structured exercises where they conduct experiments, raise crops, build shelter and energy systems to make life on the island possible. At around $149 it will pay itself back with many hours of fun. You might even find yourself playing along with your kids (see my full review). Visits to the Discover This and Amazon indicate that the actual street price runs between $110 and $129. One heckuva bargain if you ask me.
Horizon Fuel Cell Hydrogen-Powered Toys
Although Horizon’s primary business is multi-kilowatt industrial fuel cells, they have developed a wonderful sideline of fun, educational toys that put the energy of the future into your hands. Their latest offering is the Hydrocar, a lower-priced, more versatile version of the H-Racer car that we featured in last year’s gift guide. Instead of having a separate hydrogen generator, the kit’s PEM fuel cell unit combines water electrolysis and fuel cell functions into one device. The car steers independently of the user once it hits a barrier, and cool blue LED lights flash from inside the cockpit. At $85, it’s probably the lowest-cost fuel cell product you’re going to find for quite some time.
 For the more science minded, the Horizon online store also has a bunch of educational solar and hydrogen kits that allow you to do some hard-core tinkering with alternative energy systems. If you’re into more serious toys, be sure to check out the 30 W hydrogen power pack intended for high-powered RC racers. It is designed to fit inside the ubiquitous Tamiya TT-01 type chassis and drive it at speeds of 35 km/h for an hour at a stretch. Next year, I want to play with their hydrogen-powered UAV.
Power for those Toys
 If your household is anything like mine, this holiday season will add a few more items to the already-huge menagerie of cameras, toys and other devices that eat AA and AAA cells like candy. My battery habit got especially bad this year when I discovered electric helicopters. Hobbytron’s pocket-sized Hornet 3 helicopter is the perfect office toy. It’s small enough to fly indoors and, with enough practice, agile enough to fly all kinds of exciting desktop-to-desktop missions. At $29.95, it’s is a cheaper, and much more entertaining de-stressor than any prescription pharmaceutical. And for a real adrenaline rush, there’s always the larger, faster and more capable Apache fast attack helicopter waiting on the shelf to strafe my neighbor’s backyard at lunchtime.
About the only drawback to my micro-air force is that the Hornet 3 charges its flight power cell from a set of six AA batteries (which it eats after several dozen flights) and the Apache radio control transmitter uses another eight AA cells. Fortunately, I’m powering both of my toys (and most of the other battery-powered gadgets in the house) with environmentally-friendly Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries. Since a single battery can be used hundreds of times, your local landfill and your wallet will thank you. You can find them in most major retail stores, but Greenbatteries.com and All-battery.com offer wider-than-usual assortments of batteries and chargers.
 If you are running your battery-powered gadgets on the road, you might want to consider a solar charger. The nicest pocket-sized unit I’ve seen so far is the Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger, which charges handheld devices using the sun or a wall socket. The sexy ovoid case fans out to reveal three solar petals that charge its internal 1600 mA-hr Li-Ion battery. Its built-in cable comes with a collection of USB and charger adapter plugs that let you keep nearly any hand-held electronic device charged on the go. At $99, it's a bit of a splurge, but the unit's compact form factor and beautiful design make it well worth it. For the more budget conscious, Solio’s Hybrid1000 model offers 1000 mA-hr worth of storage in a more utilitarian form factor for $69.
Both units are carbon neutral, designed with a cradle-to-cradle approach to minimize waste and pollution. Beyond the product’s ability to harness clean solar energy, Better Energy Systems plans to support renewable energy projects in Africa to further offset the CO2 created by the production of their products. More technical information and ordering info is available at Solio's web site.
While they are not quite on the market yet, you might want to keep an eye out for batteries using the rechargeable silver-zinc technology developed by ZPower Inc. ZPower batteries deliver as much as 30% more energy density than lithium-ion batteries in consumer applications in applications such as notebook computers, cell phones and consumer electronics. The raw materials recovered in the recycling process of silver-zinc batteries can be 100% recycled and re-used, thereby reducing the need to mine for new materials. ZPower says it will begin high volume production in mid 2008) so keep checking for details.
Clean Reading
For those of us who consider greening up our homes a competitive sport, the 9th edition of the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings might make a great stocking stuffer. Jointly published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and New Society Publishers, it’s is a one-stop resource for consumers who want to improve their home energy performance.
The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings begins with an overview of the inter-relationships between energy use, economics, and the environment. Two new chapters are included: one provides an in-depth look at what the energy-conscious need to know about their home ventilation and air distribution system, and the other is devoted solely to home electronics. Other chapters focus on specific areas in the home, such as lighting, kitchen, and laundry. Tips on improving existing equipment, and guidance for when and why consumers should purchase new, energy-efficient equipment, as well as reminders to check local government and utility incentives for purchase or retrofit grants are also included. Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, it can be ordered for $16.95 (plus shipping and handling) directly from ACEEE and is also available from major retail booksellers.
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