Nov. 5, 2007 issue

Deck the Halls with LEDs: Your Christmas decorations can burn just as brightly with less electricity

This year, Americans will send nearly 2 billion holiday cards, use more than 38,000 miles of ribbon and leave millions of Christmas trees on the curb. Does that mean you should feel guilty for having a great time? Nah. Neither does it mean forgoing any of the elements that make the holiday season special. “You don’t have to sacrifice the celebration for sustainability,” says Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous.com and eco-editor of House & Garden. Her advice: be “eco-wise.” Here are a few secrets for an environmentally friendly—but still festive— holiday season.

Nov. 5, 2007 issue

How to choose eco-friendly holiday presents

Next time your child asks why he didn’t get as many presents as his best friend, explain that you’re just trying to be eco-friendly. Some tips on how to give good, green gifts.

To prevent waste from unwanted presents, give gift cards. “That way, they can get exactly what they need,” says green-lifestyle expert Danny Seo. His other advice: give “one good gift instead of lots of things no one really needs.” (Warning: this will work far better for adults than for kids).

Make a present, like a hand-knit scarf.  Or give a waste-free “experience,” like a bike trip, a spa visit or a gift certificate to an organic restaurant, suggests Jennifer Hattam, the Sierra Club’s green-living expert.

By Dan Oko
June 2006 issue

The basics of ecotourism are fairly easy to grasp: Businesses that cater to tourists follow special policies to protect the environment, aid the local community, and educate travelers.

But considering there's no universal set of standards, and nearly 100 groups offer various "eco" certifications and memberships, doing the right thing is a lot more complicated than one would hope.

A vacationer looking to spend time and money in an environmentally conscious manner might run across names such as Sustainable Travel International, Conservation International, Rainforest Alliance, The International Ecotourism Society, Green Hotels Association, and EcoClub, as well as regional associations like Ecotourism Australia and Travel Green Wisconsin. Each has the same idea at heart, but good values can be put into action in very different ways. Ecotourism Australia awards attractions, tours, and accommodations three categories of certificates: Nature Tourism, Ecotourism, and something called Advanced Ecotourism. The Costa Rica Tourism Board tabulates the results of questionnaires and on-site visits to rate eco-lodges on a scale of 0 to 5 green leaves. The Green Hotels Association sends members a 136-page booklet with info about noise control, composting, and other environmental issues, but the only real qualification to join is payment of an annual fee of $100-$350.

Adding to the confusion are operations that eschew official recognition yet stick to rigorous environmental guidelines, such as the adventure outfit Mountain Travel Sobek.

The best way, then, to find out what a hotel, resort, or tour operator does--and doesn't do--for the earth is to ask questions. You may not completely understand the answers; what does sustainability mean anyway? But you should listen closely nonetheless. If it sounds like the employee you're talking to is making things up or has never heard the questions before (let alone answered them), there's a problem.

How do you conserve resources?

It's easy to request that guests reuse towels; hotels taking water conservation a step further irrigate lawns and gardens with gray water (from bath and laundry sources) rather than fresh water. Guests should be encouraged to walk, ride bicycles, and take advantage of public transportation and energy-efficient vehicles such as hybrids. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are good signs, as is the separating of trash and composting. Whenever possible, buildings should be constructed with recycled materials and timber from renewable sources. Disposable items are best avoided.

How do you protect plants and animals?

Pedestrians and cyclists should stay on trails, and vehicles on roads. If your guide hacks up trees for firewood or your group disturbs wildlife and doesn't back off, something's wrong. Outside of qualified breeding programs, wild animals are never to be caged.

What do you do to help the community?

Not every company will be locally owned and operated, but outfitters and lodges should at least hire local staff. Beyond jobs, many operations emphasize charity. The owners of Lapa Rios, a five-leaf eco-lodge in Costa Rica, helped build a school in a rural area that lacked electricity and phones, while Guerba, a U.K.-based tour company, has raised more than $64,000 for homeless kids in Tanzania. When it's time to eat, look for restaurants selling regional, organic food.

What ecotourism activities do you offer?

One of the best things an eco-resort can do is impart awareness to guests. Snorkeling above coral reefs, hiking in rain forests, and rafting in remote rivers can be both thrilling and educational. Shopping excursions should focus on goods made locally, ideally with opportunities to learn about workers' lives and culture. And of course, activities ought to be respectful and avoid damaging the environment. Cooking with lightweight gas stoves causes less harm than using campfires. If you do light a campfire, always set it up in an established fire pit or ring. When you're snorkeling, never touch the coral. Optimally, you'll bring these practices home. Truly successful ecotourism changes not just the way you vacation, but the way you think--no matter where you are.

Utility bikes are the pickup trucks of the cycling world. Made to carry big loads that would normally require a car, they are popular abroad and are now catching on here. Imported from the Netherlands, the Bakfiets brand is like a pedal-powered minivan for soccer moms. Shoulder harnesses secure up to three kids, eight gears provide torque for hills, and a chain guard, fenders and mud flaps keep riders clean ($3,023; dutchbikes.us/cargo). Xtracycle helped inspire the cargo-bike movement in the United States with its FreeRadical extender kit ($399; xtracycle.com), which converts your old mountain bike into a workhorse. The Ute (short for utility) is a 16-speed commuter with an oversize rack that holds four saddlebags for groceries ($799; konaworld .com). Surfers and kayakers can strap their boards and boats to the Mundo’s extended rear rack (built to carry 450 pounds) or pedal their friends to the beach. ($799 for six speeds; yubaride .com). Most utility bikes feature an extended wheel base. Not the Tran Sport LX, which is essentially a mountain bike outfitted with burly racks front and back. It holds less cargo but is ideal for trips to the hardware store ($650; giantbicycles .com). Chores were never so much fun.

—Paul Tolme

By Kate Appleton
July/August 2007 issue

Hong Kong owes much of its success as a world business leader to its proximity to rapidly industrializing southern China. Lately, however, the city also has its booming neighbor to thank for increased air pollution. (Between 2002 and 2006, the number of smoggy days grew from 41 to 57 annually, according to the city's Environmental Protection Department.) As a result, officials are trying to add and expand green spaces. One of the most ambitious proposals calls for a new park and waterfront promenade--as well as a cruise terminal, condos, and hotels--at the site of the defunct Kai Tak Airport. Here's where to breathe freely in the meantime.

Hong Kong Wetland Park By the town of Tin Shui Wai--so close to mainland China that the towers of Shenzhen are visible across the water--this 150-acre park opened in May 2006 as an ecotourism and conservation initiative. Its airy visitors center has telescopes for spotting the more than 200 bird species living among the park's marshes, mangroves, and fish ponds. Exhibitions look at how dams and pollution threaten the vital roles of wetlands. wetlandpark.com, $4.

Ngong Ping 360 Launched last September, the Ngong Ping Skyrail treats passengers to a 25-minute ride up the lush mountainside of Lantau Island, which rises sharply from the South China Sea. At the top is Ngong Ping, a replica of a traditional village with footbridges, curved-roof shops--one devoted entirely to chopsticks--and a teahouse that gives free demos. np360.com.hk, cable car $11, village free. Note that in mid-June 2007 Skyrail service was temporarily suspended because of safety concerns.

Wisdom Path On a rugged slope of Lantau Peak, about a 15-minute walk from Ngong Ping Village, 38 towering wooden columns form a figure eight, symbolizing infinity. They're carved with Chinese inscriptions from the Heart Sutra, a text respected by Buddhists. The columns were arranged at varying heights about two years ago, and the tallest remains blank to evoke the concept of sunyata (emptiness). Free.

Nan Lian Garden Highways crisscross and apartment towers vie with mountaintops in Kowloon's bustling Diamond Hill district, which welcomed this nearly nine-acre public garden last November. Modeled after the Tang Dynasty's Jiangshouju Garden, manicured Nan Lian has rock clusters, a waterfall, 59 types of ancient trees, and ornamental wooden structures (one hosts exhibitions). A gold pavilion sits in the middle of one pond, and a bridge leads to the Chi Lin Nunnery, which is charged with maintaining the garden. nanliangarden.org, free.

Nature Kaleidoscope The stilt homes of sleepy one-time fishing village Tai O and the vegetable gardens and greenhouses of sustainable Kadoorie Farm are among a new series of guided daily excursions organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board as a way to promote the city's outdoorsy side. An advance in-person reservation is required; four booking centers include the Causeway Bay MTR station, near exit F. discoverhongkong.com, three tours are free (with a U.S. passport), plus minimal admission costs, others are $38-$46.

Most older workers are used to being told that they should wait as long as possible to claim Social Security benefits—the longer they delay, the bigger their benefits will be. And the longer they expect to live, the more benefits they’ll get from the delayed bigger benefits. That means that women, who, on average, live longer than men, should wait.

But here’s a new twist, from Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research: most married couples can maximize their benefits if the wife takes early retirement and starts her benefits at 62, and the husband waits until at least 66 to start his. Here’s why: in most families, the husband earns more and has a lower life expectancy. When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse can opt to keep his or her own benefits or instead take over the benefits of the deceased. So, a woman can start her own early, lower benefit stream that will be in effect only until her husband dies. He, in turn, can work longer and maximize his benefits, and then his wife can “inherit” his bigger benefits.

There’s a certain logic in investing some retirement cash in the very industries you’ll be enriching once you retire. So if you and the other 77 million boomers in your cohort expect to be spending a lot of money on bikes or blood-pressure meds, why not buy shares of motorcycle makers and Big Pharma?

A good theory, but not exactly a secret plan. Some promising sectors, like drug companies, have already been played to death, says Alec Young of Standard & Poor’s. He’s recommending smaller niches like orthopedic-device maker ZIMMER HOLDINGS (ZBH). He also thinks the baby-boomer wave of rollover IRAs will fuel financial companies like STATE STREET CORP (STT) and FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC. (BEN). Other companies poised to catch that boomer wave include cruise operator CARNIVAL CORP. (CCL) and THE ST. JOE CO. (JOE), a major Florida developer, says Morningstar’s Pat Dorsey. Retirees-to-be should also consider mutual funds that focus on boomer themes, like NEUBERGER BERMAN PARTNERS FUND (NPRTX) and the BUFFALO SMALL CAP (BUFSX), MID CAP (BUFMX) and LARGE CAP (BUFEX) FUNDS.

Nov. 5, 2007 issue

Something for Everyone: The 2008 Scion tC

Universally Appealing

Toyota created the Scion to attract young buyers. With the TC, a three-door hatchback, it stays true to that goal with fun features. But about half the brand’s customers are over 30. Guess we older folks like a good value, too.

Audio: The 160-watt Pioneer sound system, with its many different electronically enhanced modes, was confusing and difficult to maneuver. Gen Y would likely breeze through it.

Gauges: The speedometer and odometer spring to life, flashing from left to right and back again as the ignition is started. Redlining at 6,200rpm, the TC allows for high revs and good pulling power.

Sport-tuned exhaust: The TC is purposely loud and

Nov. 5, 2007 issue 

Thanks to a new wave of handheld, video-friendly devices, it’s never been easier to keep yourself (or the kids) entertained. But before you buy a portable boob tube, there are a few things to consider.

If you plan to eye lots of video, consider a display of at least three inches. In general, expect to squeeze about 20 to 60 hours of video into 16 gigs (most new players come with 8 or 16GB of memory). If that’s not enough, look for a player with a memory-card slot, or consider a hard-drive player. For the video itself, iPod owners can seamlessly download movies and TV shows from Apple’s iTunes Store, while other devices play videos bought from services like Amazon Unbox, CinemaNow and Wal-Mart (though integration isn’t as smooth as Apple’s). Still unsure? Here’s a look at the latest portable video players:

Rent “Spider-Man 3,” out Tuesday on DVD. Sensitive, vulnerable Peter Parker battles four (count ’em) villains, as well as a mysterious substance that unleashes the vengeful, murderous Black Spider-Man within him. It’s a Jekyll-and-Hyde battle for the soul of Spider-Man that turns on a dime from broad comedy into a quasi-religious parable about forgiveness and redemption.

Upgrade Apple Leopard. Fanboys, rejoice! The cool new OS for Mac is a grab bag full of goodies, including Time Machine (backup made easy), Quick Look (view docs without opening ’em), Spaces (partition your screen by task), Web Clips (make a chart from a Web site into a “dashboard” widget) and iTunes-like organization of folders and mail ($129; apple.com).

Ilustration by Mark Matcho for Newsweek

Tanya Hahnel, 24, earns more than $25,000 a year helping Boston-area families find affordable housing. She has health insurance, good benefits, no credit-card debt and a frugal lifestyle. Still, Hahnel bartends at night so she can afford to fly home to the Washington, D.C., area for Christmas. Her friends, many of whom are working hourly jobs without health benefits, are faring worse. “If you’re making $7 an hour plus tips, and you don’t have insurance and something bad happens, your credit is just ruined,” she says. “Everybody I know is really struggling.”

You don’t have to be irresponsible or bad with plastic to get slammed when you’re young, out on your own for the first time. Here’s why it’s tough: starter jobs come with low salaries and, increasingly, without health insurance. Rents are high, and there’s a litany of hidden expenses in the life of a twentysomething: deadbeat roommates who “share” utilities but never actually write their checks; friends’ weddings that require costly dresses and travel; security deposits and agent fees every time you move; medical care that’s not covered by insurance; needing everything (furniture, work clothes, wheels, kitchen gear) at the same time, and, yes, college loans.

But there’s hope. Every generation faces hard times when it starts out; there are some new financial tools that can help you climb into the black without an allowance from Mom and Dad. Here’s how to get started when you’re getting started.

All Grown Up: The Honda Accord turns 30 this year

Oct. 22, 2007 issue

Are you sitting down? The Honda Accord is 30. Ouch. But like the rest of us, this popular sedan just keeps getting better with age. Honda designed this eighth-generation Accord with the boomer generation in mind, making it even more comfortable.

Interior: This new model is the roomiest yet— 3 percent longer than the last one. New sound-absorbing carpet supposedly reduces road noise, but we couldn’t tell the difference.