Convenient Truths: Resolve to Lower Your Carbon Footprint (and win close to $30,000 in prizes!)

While Christmas isn't over for everyone, and Kwanzaa is in full swing, many of us are focused on the last big holiday of the season: New Year's Day (and, of course, New Year's Eve). The changing of the year brings a mixed bag of associations: parties, champagne, and midnight kisses on the one hand; reflection and anticipation on the other. We hope that 2006 has been a wonderful, successful, joy-filled year for you, and that 2007 brings more of the same. As you're thinking about the resolutions you'll make, we hope that you'll include lowering your carbon footprint with dieting, exercise and better financial planning. There's no better time than the turning of the calendar to commit yourself to a greener, more climate-friendly lifestyle -- especially when sending in a videotape of your acting on these resolutions to the Treehugger Seventh Generation Convenient Truths contest could score you a phone call from a celebrity! Among the options you might consider:

• Send out the old year with a big, green New Year's Eve bash. Think local and organic food and drink, recycled, recyclable or biodegradable party favors, and green invitations that encourage carpooling -- you might even provide your guests with contact information of other guests who live near them, and point out that riding with more people lowers one's chance of having to serve as designated driver.
• Resolve to make some of those energy-saving home improvements you've had on the "to do" list: insulate your hot water heater (or your home), install a low-flow showerhead, start using CFLs or LEDs instead of traditional incandescent light bulbs, or replace older appliances with new ENERGY STAR-qualified models.
• Resolve to green your ride: keep tires inflated to proper levels, change the air filter when its time, get that scheduled tune-up, and when looking for a new set of wheels, think high fuel efficiency.
• Finally, the New Year means Spring (and Spring cleaning and planting) aren't far away. Resolve to start changing the air conditioner filter regularly, and turning the AC up a couple of degrees. Think about an electric-powered lawn mower, or, better yet, a human-powered reel model. Maybe this should be the year to put up a clothesline, and save some energy (and money) on drying laundry

Whatever resolutions you choose, make sure there's a healthy shade of green in them. When you carry them out, make sure you've got your video camera or cell phone rolling, and submit your videos to the Convenient Truths contest. You've only got until February 28th to enter, so resolve not to procrastinate and get them in quickly. Remember: the first three entries of the new year win phone conversations with actress, activist and contest judge Daryl Hannah. The prizes for winning are pretty cool, too.

We're waiting eagerly for your videos, so submit them to the Convenient Truths contest here.