With Lunar New Year approaching, it's the perfect time to take a fresh look at green issues. There are many small changes you can make in your own personal life, such as decorating your home with plants, which remove carbon dioxide from the air. During the New Year holiday, why not go out and get a dose of fresh air? Hong Kong's 21 country parks offer nature and hiking trails, which allow you to improve your fitness level while you enjoy the wonders of nature. You also could give friends green presents. Besides the obvious environmental gifts such as battery re-chargers, solar-powered calculators, energy-conserving appliances or recycled-paper notebooks, be sure to choose items that require little or no packaging. For small children, you could choose educational computer games or miniature musical instruments. Youths may enjoy sporting goods or a subscription to a magazine. For those who love spending time in the kitchen, a recipe book or a cookery course would be a welcome gift. Other good ideas include non-dyed cotton garments and natural cosmetics or skin lotions that were not developed through animal testing. All of the above options are environment-friendly and practical. For packaging, you could use paper bags or newspaper pages. Or why not use coffee jars or biscuit tins as gift boxes, tied with scrap paper and old ribbons for decoration. Achieving maximum use from consumer items and reusing your own waste is the best way to conserve the environment. Friends of the Earth is a local non- profit environmental organisation. For further information, call 2528-5588
