In November’s issue of Global Traveler, Debra Bokur, in her article “Shades of Green,” examined some of the “green” initiatives hotels and airlines have adopted in an effort to be more environmentally responsible. While some programs seem to be little more than window dressing and provide little if any benefit, others truly make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and pollution, using alternative energy sources and increasing recycling. My conscience was nudged along those lines as I was doing a little holiday shopping this past week. A number of my loved ones are avid readers, and not surprisingly, their wish lists each include several titles. Knowing I’d have enough of an order to qualify for free shipping (and getting a good price on the books themselves), I jumped online to Amazon and began filling my virtual shopping cart. Somewhere in the process, I began contemplating what this sort of shopping meant in terms of the environment. My order would be packed up and shipped to me (presumably via land, as I didn’t choose the quick-delivery option), after which I would then ship a package to each of my recipients. Depending on how organized I am and how busy I get, those packages might end up being shipped via air freight. Conceivably, I could have those books shipped directly from Amazon to my loved ones, but that doesn’t allow me to wrap them appropriately and send along my other presents for each in one large box. Would it be better, environmentally speaking, if I took my business to the store in town (where the retailer’s one large shipment of books encompasses dozens sent out from Amazon each day) and eliminate one step in the process? Perhaps. And if I choose to get an e-reader one day, perhaps that will be a greater step forward in my attempts to reduce my carbon footprint (but I’m still a fan of the old-fashioned book in hand). In the meantime, I’ll at least try to be more aware of my own practices and those of the businesses I frequent in being a good citizen of the earth. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor