I wanted to get everyone into the winter holiday spirit before kicking off December. However, I didn’t just want to post classic Tree Hugging posts. That said, with a little help from the rest of the channel, I rounded up a huge list of killer holiday (and eco-friendly) posts.

Sit back, browse, read, and linger in the holiday bliss!

Remember, no matter the treat or recipe, you can always green it up by exchanging organic and natural ingredients for conventional.

50 Cute and Tasty Christmas Cookie Ideas

Cherry Dot Cookies

Organic Holiday Cookies!

Hey It’s Sugar Cookie Day - worth it for the pretty snowy cookie image alone.

Bacon Nut Stuffing - don’t forget, pork is a high pesticide food item, so buy organic if you make this dish.

Top 10 Turkey Tools

Pumpkin Cheesecake - one of my personal favorite treats.

What Else Is In Your Beer? AND Vegan Beer & Wine - I know beer and wine do not make a meal, but hey, they are treats, and if you have a drink, you may as well get the best.

Don’t forget to green up your holiday crafts by using recycled materials when possible.

Making Festive Ice Wreaths

yo-yo Christmas tree ornaments

Easy Christmas Crafts for the Kids

24 Things To Make - A Crafty Christmas Countdown

Beautiful Christmas Wreath Ideas You Can Create Yourself

Quick and Easy Christmas Wreath Idea - Snowflake Wreath

Homemade Recycled Holiday Luminaries

Embroidered Christmas craft how-tos

Christmas in July Crafts for Kids

Christmas sewing & crafting tips and tricks

Free holiday projects from around the bead-osphere!

Free Holiday Projects

Favorite Christmas tree ornament tutorials, free patterns & ideas

50 Holiday Things You Can Make Yourself

Thrifty Christmas Crafting

Homemade Christmas Ornament Ideas: Pinecones

How to Make a Candy Christmas Wreath

Make Your Own Pop Up Christmas Card

Green up your homemade holiday gifts by using recycled materials and natural and organic ingredients when possible. You can apply this thinking to almost any homemade gift idea.

Homemade Eco Gifts You Can Make for the Holidays!

Fabric Covered Journal Tutorial

How To Make Your Own Bath Salts

A Gift You Can Make With Your Children~ Hot Chocolate Mix Jar

Make Your Own Solar Light!

DIY Eco Chic Soap

Make Your Own Oilcloth Bags

Cheap Christmas Spa Basket Gift - Heating Pads

When it comes to green holiday tips you can do a lot; be a smart consumer, save energy, reuse items, and way more.

Turn Cereal Boxes into Gift Boxes

Green Product Review: Green Christmas Book

Tips on Staying Healthy During the Holidays

Green Christmas Shopping - 3RLiving Exclusive Discount to Unplugged Living - 3R Living has the coolest green gear, and now, you can score it for less.

• Meaningfully Frugal Christmas Tip #1
• Meaningfully Frugal Christmas Tip #2
• Meaningfully Frugal Christmas Tip #3
• Meaningfully Frugal Christmas Tip #4
• Meaningfully Frugal Christmas Tip #5

How To Reduce Your Winter Heating Bill

Weatherization Assistance Programs

Easy ways to save money when gift shopping online (conserve gas, stay at home and shop).

The First Snowfall - A Day for Fun and Quilting Inspiration

Snow! Snow Everywhere!

25 Reasons To Get Outside During Winter

Christmas Tree Coat Stand

Eco-Friendly Christmas Trees

Decorating Your Holiday Table - with the goodness of soy

Christmas Lights

Decorating Your Coffee Table for Christmas

Great Kitty Stocking Stuffers - recycled tins, natural kitty treats!

15 Unique Christmas Gifts - many recycled!

Steal This Christmas Gift Please!

Kitten Christmas Pictures - you know me; NOT a pet fan. So if I’m posting kitten pictures, you can bet your hide they’re flippin’ adorable. Even I was moved.

Best Holiday Books, 2008 - kid friendly! Use the library or share with friends to be extra green with holiday books.

Christmas Party Game Idea - Family Tree

Green Holiday Gift Guide: Great Books for Kids

Holiday Lights Video

[Image via stock.xchng]

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MONTREAL–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ICP Solar Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: ICPR.OB, FRANKFURT: K1U.F), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of proprietary solar panels and products, today announced that the Company has signed an agreement worth $500,000 for off-grid modules in Africa. Deliveries are expected to begin in January, 2009.

“We are very pleased to announce our first sales to Africa in years, where demand for solar systems has climbed rapidly in the past twelve months,” said Sass Peress, Chairman and CEO of ICP Solar. “We will be providing our proprietary modules for remote power generation in areas where, given the lack of reliable electricity but continuous availability of sunshine, we will make it possible for thousands of individuals to use portable power products and operate critically-needed equipment. These sales represent our re-entry into a market that will become a key part of our expansion in 2009, leveraging our innovative line of thin-film applications to harness the power of the sun.

“Combined with other announcements during the past two months, ICP Solar has already secured over $5 million of business for the upcoming fiscal year – a record for the company at this stage of the contract confirmation season. Considering that we will also be launching several new products in the coming quarters, we remain very well positioned for 2009.”

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SAN ANTONIO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sunrise Solar Corp. (OTCBB:SSLR) today announced the opening of its first permanent international office, located in Beijing, China. China’s growing population is creating energy shortages amid rising demand. As a result, China is seeking to increase its installation of clean alternative energy sources such as solar power to its billion plus population. From its office in Beijing, Sunrise Solar will pursue solar energy projects throughout the Asiatic region.

“We are pursuing an international strategy that we believe will allow us to continue to grow regardless of short-term economic issues in the United States,” stated Eddie Austin, Chairman and CEO of Sunrise Solar Corp. “By pursuing projects on four continents, we expect our foundation for growth to remain strong and stable.”

China is a leading manufacturer of solar power cells and competes directly with U.S. and Japanese companies such as First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), Kyocera (NYSE:KYO), and Sanyo (OTC:SANYY).

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fetzer Vineyards has been honored a second time by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger by earning a 2008 Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Award. Fetzer was first recognized by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2003 for its pioneering sustainable practices.

Fetzer VP/General Manager Cindy DeVries and Fetzer Manager of Sustainability Ann Thrupp will accept the award in the new category of Enhanced Environmental & Economic Leadership during a ceremony held at the California EPA headquarters in Sacramento. Fetzer was the only winner in the category, acknowledging the winery’s continual performance and ongoing improvement in innovating new strategies of environmental and economic leadership.

“We’re pleased that the Governor realized that leadership means constantly striving to improve,” said DeVries. “Sustainability is not just a point of view, but a way of life, for everyone at Fetzer Vineyards. It’s the only way we know how to do business.”

The Governor’s awards, established in 1993, are California’s most prestigious environmental honor. California EPA Secretary Linda S. Adams, assisted by representatives from several state agencies, presented the awards in eight categories to a handful of California organizations that were honored for “sustaining economic development while protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.” The new category of Enhanced Leadership is specifically targeted at previous award winners.

Governor Schwarzenegger is expected to join the 21 award winners for further discussions during a reception at the Cal/EPA headquarters where Fetzer and Bonterra wines will be served.

Wine Institute President Bobby Koch recommended Fetzer to Governor Schwarzenegger, noting a long history of initiatives that “position Fetzer as a successful business model that demonstrates the sustainability practices the California wine industry promotes through its Sustainable Winegrowing Program. Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers agreed in her letter of support to the Governor, calling it an honor to add her “strong and enthusiastic support” for the award.

“Fetzer Vineyards is unique within the very competitive wine sector,” she explained. “Its core principle of willingness to share what it has learned and go beyond simply being a model to being actively engaged in the local and statewide wine community to help others has made a huge difference in advancing sustainable farming and winemaking practices in California.”

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-1^st CA) called Fetzer “truly a leader and a maverick in the field” adding, “Fetzer continues to improve and set an example for the most environmentally progressive practices of any business that I know.”

“Representing a district that is rich in green practices, I am constantly impressed with how Fetzer Vineyards sets the bar,” said Congressman Thompson.

Fetzer was honored for a wide range of programs including hosting the wine industry’s largest solar array, a new effort to reduce the winery’s carbon footprint by using innovative lightweight glass in wine bottles, a zero waste approach to recycling and waste management, energy and water conservation, community involvement, and outreach in the wine industry to share best practices. For detailed information on these and other Earth Friendly Wines™ practices, visit Fetzer on the web at www.Fetzer.com

Fetzer Wines are marketed and produced by Brown-Forman Corporation, a diversified producer and marketer of fine quality consumer products, including Jack Daniel’s, Early Times, Canadian Mist, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Fetzer , Bonterra, Sonoma-Cutrer and Bolla Wines, and Korbel California Champagnes.

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When traffic congestion became too much, when the current system of public transportation wasn’t cutting it anymore, the Columbian city of Medellín found a very unique solution: the Metrocable system. The concept of cable cars is nothing new to skiers around the world, but to city planners it must be a fairly new concept.
The city [...]

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Next year will be a big year for the solar industry, one way or the other. Two momentous variables will play significant roles; One, the extension of solar tax credits, including the removal of the $2000 residential cap and the admission of utilities into the tax credit game. The second factor is, of course, a [...]

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It is not everyday that we hear pieces of news about followers of one religion praise yet another person from another religion. That is why it is very important that I share this bit with you. See, the Hindus have given praise to the Pope and the Vatican for going solar. Nice.

Rajan Zed is a well known statesman who is also a Hindu. He said that he really looked up to Pope Benedictus XVI because of the “environment friendly move and frequent calls to save the planet and curb environmental degradation.” The whole solar project which has been completed in the Vatican would help the earth by cutting around 225 tons of carbon monoxide as well as around 80 tons of oil.

Zed also added, “We may believe in different religions, yet we share the same home—our Earth. We must learn to happily progress or miserably perish together. For man can live individually but can only survive collectively.”

Source: Red, Green, and Blue

Tags: Hindu, Pope, Solar, solar project, Vatican

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For those who haven’t had a chance to visit or read about T. Boone Pickens and his alternative energy plan here’s the official site. He has big plans for Wind Energy as well as the other alternative energy ideas. There is a blog, a pledge, a way to contact congress, a state by state rundown on current plan news.

Also a forum where people can discuss alternative energy as well as his plan here.

Check out the “The PickensPlan.”

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Reply to: SolarSafari@gmail.com
Date: 2008-11-28, 9:11PM PST

If you are a fit mother who likes to take walks with her baby, this job is perfect for you!

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While there’s no Hancock to save the world from global warming, I guess we have to do that ourselves. We try and try, struggle with all the issues nature has put in our face, but yet we don’t succeed with 100% efficiency, or we don’t convert our efforts well enough to capture the forces that move around us freely.

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