Solar Charger, Green Batteries & Smart Strips
My favorite green gift this year is the solar charger for phone, ipods and MP3 players.
Also smart power strips and green batteries and smart strips…oh my! I can’t choose they are all great devices.
Solar Chargers
Chargers include an adapter kit for most common cell phone plus a mini USB 
connector. Some model include AC and car adapters. Several only charge specific phone models.
Cost: $18-50
Where: Walmart, Amazon, Target
Green Batteries
Wow…this is one I haven’t seen before! Batteries that are mercury and lead free. I avoid battery operated devices and buy solar charged, hand cranked lights or rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries instead.
It’s inevitable that we need batteries. Most clocks are cordless. I haven’t had a windup clock since my Big Ben 
alarm clock which incidentally had been my Mother’s clock. Oh, the memories of tick, tick and ring…RING!
Solution…buy environmentally friendly batteries with no lead added that can be re-charged.
Full series of sizes available: D, C, AA, AAA, 9V
High Performance and Excellent durability.
Chemical Structure:
Cathode – manganese dioxide
Anode – Zinc can
Electrolyte – Zinc chloride in water
Smart Power Strips
These strips while they may look like the typical power strip are very different. They help you save money and prolong the life of your electronics. How many cell phone charges 
have I burned up by leaving it plugged in all the time? More importantly how much power have I used unnecessarily by leaving the charged plugged into the power strip.
According to the Department of Energy, 40 percent of all electricity used to power home appliances is consumed when the appliances are turned off. It’s also estimated that these energy “vampires” use 5 percent of our total energy and cost U.S. consumers more than $3 billion annually.
Smart Power Strips are a great solution to phantom power or vampire power drain. The strips have plugs which sense the device power usage. When it drops below 10% it shuts off the device. Another way they work is shutting down peripherals attached to your PC. When you shut down your PC the attached devices (speakers, USB hubs, etc.) are automatically turned off. Voila! Power saved with no additional effort on your part. Anything that cuts down on the steps I need to take and remember is a good device!
Cost: $30
Where: Sears, Walmart, KMart, Amazon
