Holidays are some of the best times of the year for gifts and food. But did you know that the gifts you give can make a big difference to the planet? Click here to find out more! Click here to find out more!

What you buy and use—what you consume—can affect the environment in ways you never imagined.

Cell phones. Gorillas. Ever thought there might be a connection?

Probably not, but cell phones and some computer equipment are made using an ore called coltan. Coltan is found in several parts of the world, including Canada, Australia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unfortunately, coltan is being illegally mined in the wildlife parks of the Democratic Republic of Congo. And that has hurt gorilla habitat. The miners have also killed local wildlife, including gorillas and elephants, for their meat.

Conservation groups are working to stop the illegal mining and hunting in the park. They are also working to find alternative ways for people in the area to make a living. But coltan mining is a good example of how everything we buy has an impact—and that it's sometimes really hard to know where all the "stuff" we use comes from.

Here are some other ways that the things we consume have an affect on our planet:

	Driving a car contributes to global warming.
	Eating chocolate can lead to the loss of tropical rain forests.
	Buying a cotton tee shirt can mean more soil erosion and the poisoning of waterways.
	Too much stuff can stress out the planet and you.

And the list goes on and on.

The good news is, we have choices about what—and how much—we consume. We can look for products made or grown in ways that are kinder to the environment, we can reuse and recycle old things, and we can just buy less stuff.

Want to know more about certain products? Then check out A Day in the Life.