Dearest Umbra, I'm curious how they make those mystical little carrots that are just the right size for snacking. Are baby carrots actually harvested that small, or are they carved out of bigger carrots? If they're carved out of bigger carrots, where do all the shavings go? Bottom line: Am I supporting a wasteful production process when I buy baby-cut carrots or is my green consciousness just a tad bit hyperactive? TylerWashington, D.C. Dearest Tyler, Baby carrots have veritably jumped off the shelves in recent years. You hardly see people eating normal carrots any longer. It's too much work, really, …

Dear Umbra, I can't take it! A body-building actor was just elected governor of my state! I'm going to go mad! Then my friend said, "Don't get mad, get even." You've got to help me -- California is crazy, but at least we've been setting the standard on some environmental issues. (Not all of them, I know, but quite a few.) I've never believed that letters or marching or such things help, but now I'll do anything. Anything! If next year's presidential election goes like this, I'll really lose it. Tell me what to do. Help me, Obi-Wan! SamBakersfield, Calif. …

Dear Umbra, Now that this country has been lost to the Earth-ravaging Republicans, tell me: Which other country should I run to seeking environmentally aware salvation? MelAlbany, N.Y. Dearest Mel, America. Love it or leave it, pal. Are Republicans inherently Earth-ravaging? Do all Republicans believe the Clear Skies initiative is progress? Do they all buy the "without logging, forests are dangerous" bunkum? Well, no -- but in such a hyper-organized, well-oiled machine as today's Republican Party, dissenters might not make much of a difference. The party has made success -- their man on the marquee -- priority No. 1. All …

Dear Umbra, I heard a rumor that President Bush's Texas ranch is off the grid. I find it very hard to believe (unless "off the grid" means he has his own oil well and refinery set up) and I can't find any documentation about it. Ever heard this? Know if it's true or false? Skeptical,JulieChicago, Ill. Dearest Julie, "Off the grid," for our curious readers, is not a reference to pancake cookery but rather a jargon-ish term used by energy wonks to indicate the ultimate in enviro chic: a building that generates its own electricity using onsite energy sources, and …

Dear Umbra, I'm in the market for a new dishwasher, one that uses as little water and energy as possible and still gets that flatware sparklin' clean. But I don't have a lot of dough to blow on appliances. Any thoughts? DeanOrem, Utah Dearest Dean, I really can't say enough about Consumer Reports and its online archives of product reviews and ratings. The subscription is worth the $4.95 per month. An Energy Star-bellied dishwasher.Photo: U.S. DOE. I approached buying a dishwasher by cross-referencing the Consumer Reports recommendations with handy Energy Star ratings. Energy Star is a labeling project of the …

Dear Umbra, My husband kills deer every fall for the "sport" of it. I'm completely disgusted with him and we have bitter arguments. His justification for killing deer is that they will starve over the cold winter and that he is thinning the population so more will survive. My argument is that nature will do the job on its own and that he is killing the largest, healthiest deer who have a chance to survive and that it's the old and weak that will die naturally over the winter -- not the healthy ones. I think he's an idiot. Who …

Dear Umbra, I am wondering about the most environmentally safe form of birth control. From what I understand, women's birth control pills put terrible amounts of hormones into the world's waters and cause genetic mutations in fish. On the other hand, constantly using and discarding plastic condoms, including the packaging these come in, does not seem like a great solution. Are there more options out there that would cause less harm to my body and the environment? Thanks, AdinaOak Park, Ill. Dearest Adina, Safety Pup would like to remind us all that birth control is not the only concern during …

Dear Umbra, I have a large, organic (hopefully) vegetable garden. However, I occasionally use Roundup around the edges to keep invasive grasses from creeping in. Now, I have been given to understand that Roundup is relatively safe and breaks down almost immediately. What are your thoughts on this subject? I totally trust your judgment. BetsyMichigan Dearest Betsy, Roundup is relatively safe -- it's not as bad as, say, depleted uranium -- but that doesn't mean you want to go pouring it on your pancakes. I'm more than happy to give you the information you seek regarding its toxicity; however, as …

Dear Umbra, My wife and I have made great progress in simplifying our lives. We don't own a car (we take the bus, walk, bike, and occasionally rent a car), we have cut back on our use of water and power, and we are working on avoiding "more stuff." We're just wondering what we might give as wedding gifts to children of our friends in order to be in line with our goal yet not seem "weird." Any ideas on this subject? Peter Poulsen Murray, Utah Dear Peter, I am mulling over this dilemma as well. By the time 2003 …

Dear Umbra, On a link that I got from Grist's Do Good section, it says that taking baths instead of showers conserves water. What's the logic behind this? I measured how much water I use when I shower, and it's about a quarter of the amount that I use for baths. So it doesn't make much sense that bathing conserves more water than showering. Am I just weird or is there another reason? Jesse Ross-SilvermanNorthampton, Mass. Dearest Jesse, I'm not the best judge of your weirdness. First, I know next to nothing about you, and second, I'm a little weird …