Reviewing the entries for the **Yes to Green for 2009** giveaway one resolution really caught my eye: Sewart’s (@[nrohtrawets](http://twitter.com/nrohtrawets/)) idea of giving birthday gifts to people he knows to offset the carbon output by their cars seemed like a great idea.
It’s fun getting gag gifts for and from friends but what good are those items? You probably won’t use them and they were needlessly made and wasted and will most likely clog up a landfill. For 2009 I am going to be giving charitable gifts.
Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays most occasions that call for gift giving don’t always require gifts. Remember that really dumb thing someone got you for your birthday? A friend bought me some stupid road sign replica pertaining to our social drinking habit together. That has been collecting dust on a shelf for over a year now. Waste not, want not.
Here’s 2 great ideas for charitable gift giving:
##Carbon Offset##
[Carbon fund](http://www.carbonfund.org/) is an [excellent way to offset someone carbon using lifestyle](http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/why_offset/category/Why%20Carbonfund.org/). On their site they have an easy way to buy carbon credits based on the person’s lifestyle. Instead of using a complicated calculator that asks for information you don’t know they have basics like offset for an individual or [offset for their mid sized car](http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/individuals/category/Offset%20Now/) (vs. hybrid or suv.) You can also choose to [offset a home or air travel](http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/individuals/category/Offset%20Now/) based on size and distance respectively.
Or get them a carbon offset gift card in any amount. Find more information at
##Animal Adoption to Save the Animals##
Have an animal love in your life – or do you want to teach a child you know the benefits of donations? [Make a donation to the World Wildlife Fund](https://secure.worldwildlife.org/ogc/home_ogc.cfm) to make a symbolic [adoption of an animal](https://secure.worldwildlife.org/ogc/home_ogc.cfm) of you choosing.
– For a $25 donation the WWF will send you a certificate and photo of the animal
– For $50 you will receive a stuffed animal of the critter you choose and a photo and certificate
– Higher donations vary by the animal but sometimes include a family stuffed animal or a large 30″ stuffed animal in a gift box
If you just want to [donate to help the WWF contribute to the well being of wild animals on Earth](https://secure.worldwildlife.org/forms/2.0/support_wwf.cfm?sc=AWE0906GD010&CFID=24192761&CFTOKEN=676de75fff4507ea-BC46F388-C154-8A3C-AF446F4512EDE5B2) you can do that too, they even have an option to not receive a gift to maximize the use of your donation. We know charitable giving isn’t about what you receive in return but the gifts in return options make it a perfect birthday present for a child or someone particularly interested in a specific species. Learn more at
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Panda photo by Simply LA via flickr used under the creative commons