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Q. Dear Umbra,

I wear jeans a lot, practically every day. When my jeans get a hole I patch them and wear them in the garden. But eventually they get too holey to wear even in the garden. What can I do with my old jeans rather than throw them out? Jeans don't make good cleaning or pee rags like my worn-out cotton T-shirts. Can I send them someplace to be used as insulation for houses? Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Judith M.
Highlands Ranch, Colo.

A. Dearest Judith,

Jeans as pee rags seems like a new torture method. Let’s not go there.

I com-mend you (ha) for being so thrifty. And I’m sure you know, as our Greenie Pig recently confirmed, that you can make your denim last even longer by not washing it too often. But what to do when those dungarees done give up? You can mail them (and other denim cast-offs) to the Cotton. From Blue to Green program. Originally a campus-oriented recycling drive, the program turns your jeans into insulation, which is then used by Habitat for Humanity in hard-hit places like New Orleans.

Another thought: Since you’re into gardening, you could use your old jeans to make kneepads -- which would protect subsequent pairs of jeans. You can also compost fabric, though it can take awhile to break down. Needless to say, crafty ideas abound for reusing denim -- take a look at this list, for starters. Some of the items are in-jean-ious, and some will make you look like you stepped out of a Charlie’s Angels episode. I shall let you decide what suits you best.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

I am an up-and-coming millennial looking at this world and I often wonder -- is there hope for us on this planet? I realize this is a loaded question, but I was after your honest opinion as someone who has been at this longer than me and might have seen a few things. Thank you.

LL
Boston, Mass.

A. Dearest LL,

Might have seen a few things? Why just this morning I saw a pair of wild turkeys walking down the middle of the street as if they owned the place. But those are probably not the things you mean.

I appreciate loaded questions, especially from up-and-coming millennials such as yourself. Now for my little secret: I am by nature hopeful. I have to be, since I spend my days encouraging people to make greener choices and be wiser citizens of the planet. If I thought they weren’t following through, or that their personal and political actions didn’t matter, my entire reason for being would evapotranspirate, wouldn’t it? Nobody wants to see what I look like as a vapor.

But even the most hopeful among us must acknowledge that we are, to use a technical term, in deep doo-doo. Climate change is here, it’s real, and it’s wreaking havoc. We no longer have time to fiddle around. As my colleague David Roberts puts it, we do something or we’re screwed. (I encourage you to take some time to watch David’s delightful video elaborating on this point.)

The good news is, people are doing things. Stroll with me for a moment down the Boulevard of Maybe We’ll Be OK After All, where we find a few reasons to be optimistic:

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Q. Dear Umbra,

Recently, as my son was doing his homework, he asked, "Dad, who is Rachel Carson?" I gave a brief biography, then asked why he wanted to know. His worksheet for health class included a question about Carson's role in the EPA's decision to ban DDT. My son's teacher had told the class to skip that question "because she was just a crazy lady." My sputtering and fuming induced my son to say that he was sorry he had asked. He expressly forbid me from sitting in on this teacher's class, or doing anything that might make her grade him unfairly. So what can I do? This teacher, who also teaches American history, has crossed a line that I cannot accept.

Andrew E.
Skamokawa, Wash.

A. Dearest Andrew,

As a fan of facts in general, I understand your sputtering. But as you might know, your son’s teacher is not alone in her opinion of Carson, whose Silent Spring transformed how the public regarded the risks of pesticides. Attacks on Carson began the moment the book was published in 1962, and haven’t stopped since. These days, they are primarily based on the notion that she is responsible for the banning of DDT, a chemical her (mostly conservative) critics believe could have prevented millions of malaria-related deaths. The full story is rather more nuanced than that, of course. I encourage you and your son to read this helpful account or this one for a little more information about why Carson has become a bit of a lightning rod.

But your question is whether you should rush over to your son’s school, Birkenstocks a-flappin’, and demand to know why his teacher is filling the heads of the Skamokawa youth with lies, damn lies. I say not so fast.

You have done the most important thing, which is to give your son the facts.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

I am in search of a non-toxic ball for my 14-month-old daughter. Any ideas?

Drea T.
Falls Church, Va.

A. Dearest Drea,

Thanks to you, some dusty old lyrics have been bouncing through my head for several days: “The mornin’ sun is shining like a red rubber ball.” Those who don’t know this song should not investigate further. Trust me, it will worm its way into your brain and never, ever leave.

You don’t say what sort of ball you’re looking for, Drea -- a small one for your toddler to hold and toss, a medium-size one that she can kick around, or an oversized one for hee-hee-it’s-bigger-than-me antics. Whichever your goal, I do know how challenging it can be to find products that are safe for the junior set. It is a cruel truth of our modern age that most toys contain toxic substances even though our children are especially vulnerable to such things. We know that young children, especially, tend to put everything in their mouths, yet we casually hand them items that can contain lead, mercury, BPA, and other things one would not normally choose to suck on. (Even toys intended for oral use, like plastic teethers, are often not suitable for that purpose -- best to look for alternative materials.)

So I applaud you for making the effort to seek out safer toys, and I encourage you to keep at it, even when it feels harder than cutting a tooth. Support companies that offer healthy options, but just as important, tell the companies that do peddle toxic toys why you won’t be buying their products. We know the almighty dollar speaks, whether it is spent or unspent.

But here I am blathering away, and your 14-month-old is tugging at you with a repeated, “Ba? Ba? Ba?” So let’s get down to it:

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Q. Dear Umbra,

We are looking for an eco-friendly gift for our employees. Leaning toward some type of reusable travel mug, we need help deciding on the best option. If we had our way, this product would be made locally or at least in the USA; have the lowest carbon footprint of the available materials (stainless steel, plastic, glass, aluminum, ceramic, etc.); be recyclable; and be affordable. We would like to stay away from plastic if we can, but if the science points us in that direction, we would consider it. I’m having problems locating a stainless steel version of what we are looking for made in the U.S.A.

Laura B.
Baltimore, Md.

A. Dearest Laura,

How lovely to hear from a company that is putting so much thought into rewarding its employees, and doing it in an eco-friendly way. What if I told you I had identified the perfect gift, one with zero manufacturing impacts and universal appeal?

I’m talking, of course, about the gift of time. Could you give your employees a day off, or even a half-day, or the option to save commuting time by working from home once in a while? If that’s not feasible, what if you put your mug money into gift certificates for experiences, like a massage or a movie or a nice dinner out? You could build a little menu of options -- employee recognition a la carte.

“They” say the best things in life are not things, and I think that is especially true in this case. Your employees, while no doubt touched by the sentiment behind the mug (and they would be even more touched if they knew how hard you were working to sustainably source these gifts), might well want something else. Mightn’t they?

I hope you understand that my comments are made in the spirit of creativity, not crankery. What you really want is mug information, and mug information I shall provide.

First, the materials.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

I thank you for the wisdom your articles have given me. I've been very curious about the health risks imposed by my wife's hair coloring. She uses a common brand, and when she is dyeing her hair it smells horrible, and lingers in the air long after she's finished. The closest thing I could use to describe the smell would be old, rotten, fungus-filled fruit sacks. I am not concerned about being exposed, but my wife's health is extremely important to me. Is it safe for her? If not, do I have an alternative to suggest?

Sincerely,

Very Concerned Husband
Susanville, Calif.

A. Dearest VCH,

If you are not a writer by trade, you should become one. Your description of “old, rotten, fungus-filled fruit sacks” is impressively detailed, inarguably repulsive, and, I imagine, at least as colorful as your wife’s tresses.

Have you told your wife how you feel about her stinking up Susanville in the name of beauty? Perhaps you could suggest that you’d prefer to see a few gray hairs spring forth than watch her breathe in a cocktail of toxic chemicals. Even better, tell her you adore the gray hair (or whatever she is trying to alter). I bet she would appreciate your candor and, more than that, your unconditional love. Sometimes that’s enough to get one through the day, isn’t it?

You might also gently tell her that hair dye has been fingered in a number of health concerns. We know it contains carcinogenic ingredients -- here’s a handy overview from the Food and Drug Administration -- but when you comb through the data you’ll see that the science is not absolutely sure about all the various connections. Over the years, studies have connected long-term hair dye exposure to increased risks of leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and bladder cancer. Women in their first trimester of pregnancy are encouraged to forgo it, just to be safe. Should we not apply the same precaution in all stages of life? I vote yes.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

Are there any truly safe personal pre-moistened bathroom wipes? I was shocked to see some of the chemicals being used in a product that has "Natural Wipes" used in the name. There are some very unnatural ingredients, such as: sodium benzoate, methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, and fragrance. I'm possibly overreacting, butt what's a person supposed to do? This really has me bummed.

Help!
Detroit, Mich.

A. Dearest Help!,

Wow, you sure made a hole lot of puns there.

First of all, never trust the word “natural” on a label. It is basically meaningless. We should always probe claims, read ingredient lists, and do our best to understand what really lies behind that fancy package.

In some cases we are lucky, and someone else has done our homework for us. Someone like the Environmental Working Group, for instance. Turning to EWG’s Skin Deep database, an invaluable resource for researching products, we find the following about the ingredients you cite:

Sodium benzoate ranks a 1 on their scale of 0 to 10 (with 0 being no concern and 10 being major freak-out time). Propylene glycol scores a 3, presenting low-to-moderate concern primarily as a skin irritant and allergen, and methylisothiazolinone scores a 5, posing moderate concern as an allergen and potential neurotoxin. (I should note that a study based on patients at the Mayo Clinic found that methylisothiazolinone did indeed cause rashes and itching in wipe users, and word about wipes causing irritation seems to be spreading.)

And then there’s fragrance, an item that deserves its own little paragraph. It sounds like the most harmless of the bunch, doesn’t it? Yet it rates an 8 from the EWG.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

As an American currently living in Australia, I would appreciate if you could shed some light on the kangaroo meat industry.  I consider myself a conscientious carnivore for reasons relating to environmental sustainability and wellness, but in practice am essentially a vegetarian since organic free-range meat doesn't usually fit into my budget. But now everywhere I shop there is an inexpensive, free-range, all-natural, delicious game meat available: kangaroo! Is this too good to be true?

Maia R.
Perth

A. Dearest Maia,

My duties do not generally entail analyzing the appropriateness of eating one animal versus another. In fact, I tend to gently encourage my dearest readers to eat less meat overall. But your question is too juicy to resist. Though I had never explored the seamy underbelly of the kangaroo meat industry, it turns out this is one “hop” topic. (Oh yes I did.)

The meat of Australia’s iconic macropod is, by all accounts, delicious and nutritious: low in fat, high in protein and iron, with a taste described by one New York City chef as “like sweet filet mignon.” Kangaroo meat is currently exported to more than 50 countries, including the good ol’ U.S. of A, and is often marketed as “good for you and good for the environment.” On top of all this, you have informed us that the meat is sold, locally at least, for a not-exorbitant amount of money.

Actually, the local angle is a key detail. If you were craving kangaroo in Kalamazoo, I would tell you not to bother. But I confirmed with Clare, my highly placed vegetarian source in Melbourne, that kangaroo is widely perceived in those parts as “a good choice of meat: organic, lean, and local.”

So should you become, like one of Clare’s friends and assorted other vegetarians who make an exception for this product, “kangatarian”? Proponents of this $280 million industry say the kangaroo, long a traditional food source in its native land, has a leg up over Australia’s other livestock when it comes to sustainability. Kangaroos produce less climate-addling methane than sheep and cattle, require less water, and cause less damage to the land. Unlike their factory-farmed brethren, kangaroos roam about the wild until they are “culled” -- aka shot. The government sets annual quotas for the number of kangaroos that can be killed, by licensed hunters only, via a specific code of practice [PDF].

That all sounds like a nice alternative to factory farming and pink slime, until the critics pipe up.

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Q. Dear Umbra,

I own stock in Exxon Mobil. It was given to me by my grandparents when I was born (I'm now 46). I go back and forth between being appalled that I am making money off a company that I despise and thinking that at least by owning stock I can vote for some progressive changes (not that my vote ever seems to make a difference). Now I'm reading about 350.org asking universities to divest from their oil and gas portfolios, and wondering if I should do the same. My question is, if I sell my stock, won't someone else just buy it who will be less inclined to vote for progressive change? I've thought about donating it to a nonprofit environmental group (Grist, perhaps) and letting them wrestle with this question. Umbra, what would you do in my situation?

Too Many Stock Options
Sagle, Idaho

A. Dear TMSO,

There’s a reason you’re going back and forth about this. It’s a tricky question. Your loving grandparents hardly knew the dilemma they were putting upon their precious little grandchild. Although they surely knew something: According to this handy index, the value of Exxon shares has risen from about $2 in 1970 to close to $90 today.

Actually, this story starts well before you were born. Travel with me for a moment to the 1930s, when a country still reeling from the Great Depression said, “Hey, you know what? If we put money into a company, we ought to be able to ask questions about how that company is run.” That’s why shareholders got the right [PDF] to add proposals to corporate ballots. In the early 1970s, prominent campaigns against Dow Chemical and General Motors paved the way for proposals that went beyond business and looked at corporate social responsibility, earning liberal bleeding hearts and others a seat at the table, too. Or at least a seat in the hallway leading to the boardroom.

Since then, shareholder activism has seen tangible results -- here, for instance, is a list of recent environmental accomplishments spearheaded by the activist organization As You Sow. Increasingly, heavy hitters like state pension funds and colleges are pushing for progressive change from within. So in theory, you could hang on and fight the good fight. But should you?

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Q. Dear Umbra,

My husband and I are extremely lucky to live in a walkable neighborhood with necessities nearby -- supermarket, library, bilingual preschool, and I can bike/bus to work. My issue is that now that we have a baby, all the other moms drive their kids all over the place, shopping and taking cute little day trips. I would prefer to drive only in emergencies, but our entertainment options near home are severely limited. Is it better to leave a smaller carbon footprint and make a moral statement my son might be proud of one day, or to have additional experiences with him/relationships with kids and moms across town that I will treasure until we all go up in flames?

New Mom
Austin, Texas

P.S.: My husband doesn't like me to take our baby on the bus, even to visit friends who live near the bus line. He thinks buses are dirty, that my time is too valuable, and that it makes us look poor.

A. Dear New Mom,

As you’ve no doubt learned in the last few months, new parenthood involves a dizzying series of choices. Cloth diapers or disposable? Breast or bottle? Work or stay at home? Co-sleep or crib? Now it seems we have another item to add to the checklist: moral statement or treasured memories? I’m pretty sure you can have both.

You have gotten accustomed to walking places. This is great! You and your husband are part of a generation of young families who realize that cities can be vibrant, exciting, diverse, healthy, occasionally exhausting places to live. You, New Mom, are on the cutting edge! So cut yourself a break.

I will tell you a secret about babies and small children: As long as you are with them, they do not much care where they are. They think it’s just grand watching ants in sidewalk cracks, or laughing at the funny faces you make, or building forts out of sofa cushions. Let the other mothers take their children to Sir Tots a Lot and Princess Bouncy House and private lessons on the far side of town where they teach infants signs for all the elements in the periodic table. You and your son will create plenty of treasured memories without a car. Believe me, you will see and appreciate things those other moms never do.

That said, I do want you to be careful not to get isolated.