Video - Nature's Beauty: Life is a Gift and the Only Appropriate Response is Gratefulness

Stunning time-lapse photography from Louie Schwartzberg, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast. "Nature is a life giving water if you only open your heart and drink."

How to Help Make Black Friday More Green from C2ES

While less shopping is always the more ecologically aware choice, here are some ideas for making Black Friday greener from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).

Practice precycling. Precycling is the practice of avoiding the purchase of items that will produce waste such as packaging, whether that waste is recycled or not. After all, the most environmentally friendly product is the one that minimizes resources altogether. Find some tips on precycling.

Tips to Make Black Friday More Green from FatWallet

Black Friday is a consumer spectacle that is rife with excess and waste. However, FatWallet offers some tips on how to make your black Friday more green. Try to find products that that are made from recycled or biodegradable materials. For example, several book publishers now only print books made from recycled paper. In terms of appliances and electronic devices, check for items that are rechargeable or energy-efficient. They should have the Energy Star logo on them if they are verified efficient machines. Another tip is to look for products that use minimal packaging. After all, if the box and plastic wrappings are going to be thrown away, why pay extra for them and add to the landfills? When it is time to pay, use a green credit card whenever possible. These are credit cards where a portion of each transaction that a customer makes goes towards support for green charities or causes. Finally, pack all of the new purchases into reusable shopping bags instead of reaching for a pile of plastic bags.