The Department of Public Affairs of the U.S. Army has printed 80,000 copies of a children's coloring book called "Keeping the Earth Green," which on one page features a happy soldier helping children feed a giant tortoise, and on another page shows a tank crew trying to keep the noise down to avoid disturbing a sleeping owl. "Soldiers take care not to scare or hurt animals that live on the land," the caption reads. "It's part of an environmental stewardship campaign," says Capt. Bill Buckner, a spokesman for the Army's Department of Public Affairs. "The Army's goal is to be a national leader on the issue of the environment." Happily for taxpayers, the book only cost $6,000 to print. Buckner reveals the secret: recyclable paper.

[Ed.: Capt. Bill Buckner is no relation to the bowlegged Red Sox firstbaseman.]

†