EnviroWonk writer Samantha Hulkower is still blogging from WIREC, which ends today.

Whilst collecting our assortment of free stuff at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, we're also happy to report that the federal government is doing some awesome, sustainable, and productive things for the environment.

We promise that's not the Kool-Aid talking. While roaming the floors of the D.C. Convention Center, we've been talking to various agency employees about their jobs. We happen to know a few EPA career (not political appointee) employees who swear the government does do good things, they just don't always publicize it. We'll save speculation on why that is for another day. In the meantime, read along and bask in the warm, joyous knowledge that some of your tax dollars go to good things.

Thanks to the Farm Bill, all federal agencies are required to buy bio-based products. The nice USDA woman couldn't give us more info, like why all federal employees aren't using corn pens (see below), but we'll be keeping an eye out for more info on this topic.

Over at the Forest Service table, we learned that trees being killed off by pests -- and therefore not usable to make paper -- are used to make furniture, chairs, and other products, instead of being turned into wood chips or thrown out. Also cool is that these products are sold locally, which keeps the carbon footprint nice and low.

NASA had a cool-looking (though not always properly functioning) "Magic Planet", onto which all sorts of images could be projected, including the surface of the moon and that of almost all the other planets. It can also display information about Earth like weather patterns, forest fires and carbon production (think algal blooms and forests). The Magic Planet is brought to schools around the country to teach kids about the planet(s) in a way that is actually engaging. No wonder NASA had the best freebie.

Best recycled use of a trademarked character: Woodsy the Owl for the Forest Service. Not only did we score the last lapel pin of Woodsy's head (which we hadn't asked for or actually wanted, but we spent so much time talking to the forest service lady that we think she felt obliged to do something nice for us), but also a cute key-chain attachment with a picture of Woodsy holding a magnifying glass over a flower and the message, "Lend a hand, care for the land!" which we actually find kind of charming.

Most disturbing use of "renewable" material: Leather luggage tag from the USDA Agricultural Research Service. They had a good point that a luggage tag is going to be seen by a wide array of people (including the TSA employees going through your stuff, as the USDA people actually pointed out), so it could be a good way to get your URL seen. Still, we aren't vegetarians, but the idea of leather being touted as a renewable resource is kind of gross.

Most practical giveaway: Soy lip balm from the USDA. We weren't even aware that the traditional kind had petroleum in it.

Most recyclable giveaway: Corn based pens from the USDA. Corn ethanol may give some environmentalists palpitations when it comes to fuel, but corn can also be used to make plastics. This is seriously a genius idea, considering how many pens you lose or throw out.

Only attempt we saw trying to engage kids: Comic book from the Forest Service titled, "The Hidden Treasure: Forests and Woody Biomass." Sorry, we don't get paid enough to actually read something like that.

Giveaway we felt worst about taking: Tote bag from the Indian Affairs Division of Energy and Mineral Development. Without going into a history lesson, Native Americans weren't always given their fair share of access to the benefits of resources on their land, and the graphic on the bag of some stereotypical Indian Headdress feathers next to symbols of mining and drilling are kind of disconcerting. There is a sun pictured too, which made us think of this excellent organization.

Free gift most likely to inspire envy in others: NASA athletic bag. It's actually really cool looking -- black, with the NASA logo, and solidly built.

Most useful/least likely to be utilized handout: Anything from the Department of Energy's Efficiency and Renewable Energy table. They had lots of pamphlets and Reader's Digest-size booklets of information, from a fuel economy guide to model year 2008 vehicles, to tips on saving energy and money around your home.

Most obvious leftovers from failed overseas campaign: Ratatouille movie posters with a rat holding a CFL with something written in one of three languages: Russian, German, and Arabic. They are cool for their kitsch value, and we could probably get some decent change for it from a hipster, but we are too honest for that. Really.

Giveaway we were too embarrassed to actually take: Windmill paperweights from the Interior Department. No explanation needed, we hope.