If you’re looking for quality Christmas gifts for the wee set this season, here are a few of our favorite planet and people-friendly things for 2012 …

(above) You’ll enjoy poking around the Eco Kids section of Amazon.com, and enjoy free shipping for the next 8 days, too. Here are some personal faves: BeginAgain‘s 21-piece Eco Artist On the Go Travel Kit ($24); Green Toys made of recycled milk jugs & no toxic dyes (jump rope $10 & Seaplane $24.99) as well as Eco Kids Eco-Dough (made in the USA, $20 for 5 colors). A great way to keep those little ones active and stimulated.

(above) An earth-friendly alternative to a classic … ditch the plastic Legos but keep the creative building juices flowing with Earth Blocks @ the Guggenheim Store ($27-30 for a set of 50 pieces). Made from a composite of: the bark of cedar trees, compressed dust from cedar logs, coffee beans, green tea plus a variety of other recycled materials.

(above) Abe’s Market has a fine selection of natural, organically-derived toys, clothes and useful items like the Organic Baby Travel Kit  and Anti-Plastic Beach Toys (BPA & phthalate-free; made of biodegradable corn resin) …. both gifts sensibly priced at $19.99 & free shipping thru 12/31/12.  (more…)

• What’s that smell? Malibu Residents Hire Private Tugboat to Remove Rotting Whale From Beach – nbc news
• Will anyone enforce this? Rhino Poaching: South Africa and Vietnam Sign Deal – bbc
• Stubborn US Drought Could be Costlier than Hurricane Sandy – cs monitor
• You’d have to be an idiot – or an oilman – to let these credits expire… Western Governors Urge Wind Energy Tax Credit Extension – yahoo! news
• This sounds eerily like white supremacy… Conservatives can be Persuaded to Care More About Environmental Issues When Couched in Terms of Fending Off Threats to ‘Purity’ – sciencedaily
• This only covers about 15% of global emissions… U.N. Conference Agrees to Extend Kyoto Protocols – npr
• Start writing the screenplay… Bizarre Creature Found in 200-Million-Year-Old Cocoon – livescience

photo: Nick Ut / AP