Are you planning on making a big feast for the holidays?  Maybe you've been designated as the place to go for dinner festivities.  Before you start the marathon cooking, make sure you read the tips below to ensure that as you enjoy your scrumptious foods, you're also making the smallest dent possible on Mother Nature.

Make It

Don’t wait until you have a pan of leftover oil to dump. Make a designated waste oil container, label it and put it in a place where everyone in your home can easily access it. Photo: Flickr/_e.t

Almost everyone gives gifts for the holidays, no matter which of them you celebrate.   You spend hours fighting crowds to pick out the perfect gift and to keep it a surprise, you spend more time and money wrapping it in beautiful paper, ribbons and bows.   The time has come, you give your friend or loved one the gift and see their eyes light up as they tear through the wrapping to get to the goodies inside.   Success!  It's just what they've always wanted.   And at the end of it all, that pretty paper you spent so much time getting just right....ends up in the trash!  90% of Americans will go through this exact same process this holiday season.  They'll buy gift wrap, curl ribbon or even pay upwards of $10 a gift to have a present wrapped professionally.  

Does this make you think twice about wrapping that new Ipod?   Well there are ways to save money and the environment and still provide a pretty presentation for your favorite person.

If you're looking for that perfect gift this season, look no further.   If you're looking for Green gifts, even better.  Green Piece Indy has compiled a list of places that offer the best eco-friendly presents for everyone on your list.  So no matter how hard a person is to shop for, a gift is just a click away.  Take a look at the ideas below and check out the links for one-stop shopping!

Despite the recession, consumers are maintaining their interest in green energy programs. And utility companies continue to roll out programs as new wind farms and other resources begin generating energy.

How can the utilities effectively target consumers and increase participation? The results of the Nielsen Energy Audit indicate that consumers are interested in green energy programs because of:

* Rising energy costs
* Concern about the environment
* New programs that are increasingly becoming available

For now, only 3% of consumers participate in these programs. Because of availability, participation varies widely from region to region. Here's how the 3% of current participants is distributed geographically:

* West Coast 24%
* West South 15%
* Mid Atlantic 15%
* South Atlantic 14%
* Mountain 9%
* East North Central 10%
* New England 4%
* East South Central 3%

Do you have old electronics that you're thinking about throwing away?  Well, instead of becoming a part of the approximately 2 million tons of e-waste that is dumped in landfills each year, why don't you do some good and score some cash!  Companies such as www.myboneyard.com, www.buymytronics.com and www.greenphone.com refurbish old cell phones and PDAs for cash.  Simply send in your stuff and in most cases you'll be awarded a set sum.  If your devices are too old or worn for a payout, at least they'll be safely recycled!