It's officially time to break out warmer clothing and start pairing those toe sandals with toe socks. Have you recently discovered your fall sweater supply looking worse for the wear? Thinking of tossing those cardigans and going mothballs to the wall on prevention? Pullover.

Umbra is here with suggestions about how to mend your frays and avoid moths in the first place. Clothing moths hate light, so doorless closets or solar-powered lights can help. Read on for more advice.

We've mentioned the $25 million-plus that a handful of pesticide and processed food companies have poured in to opposing the GMO labeling bill that will be up for vote in California this November. And that opposition is only logical; although Prop 37 technically only applies to California, odds are good that, if it passes, it will have implications for the entire food industry in this country.

Now, we thought we'd highlight a few of the celebrities who have been speaking up for GMO labeling. Have you seen others? Let us know in the comments section below.

We’ll be the first to admit that urbanism has become a parody of itself lately. (Dumpster garden, anyone?) But kudos to our fellow city denizens who have reclaimed parking spots for humankind on this annual celebration of street theater/ good-natured protest -- a.k.a. PARK(ing) Day. Here are a few the more creative reuses, gleaned from the interwebs.

Photo by HBO.

Did you know that three-quarters of the energy your appliances burn is used while they’re turned off? It’s true. Our ever wise and helpful green advice columnist, Umbra Fisk, looked it up. She tells us that Americans waste an estimated $1 billion a year powering “vampire appliances” we’re not even using.

In this classic from the video archives, Umbra has a few thoughts on how to put a stake through the heart of these silent budget killers -- or at least put them to sleep at night. The first key: Just because the switch says “OFF,” don’t assume that the little monster isn’t sucking your wallet dry.

"There’s a strange phenomenon in the ocean this year," says Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association in Gloucester, Mass. The water, usually cold, has been warm. Lobsters have molted weeks earlier than usual. Groundfish are scarce. And Gloucester Harbor is full of small squid, rarely seen there in normal years.

"This is a true natural disaster," Sanfilippo says, "and it needs to be investigated."

Did toxic blue-green algae make your summer a bummer?

What: Join Grist Food Editor Twilight Greenaway, Resource Media's Penelope Whitney, and the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN)'s Jessica Marshall for a live Twitter chat about the links between toxic algae and how we grow our food.

When: This Thursday, Sept. 20, at  10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST, hashtag #greenslime.

Yesterday, we reported on the problem of toxic green algae in America's lakes. Today, we're following up with images from around the country. Want to learn more? Join Food Editor Twilight Greenaway on Thursday, Sept. 20, for a live Twitter chat about toxic algae at 1:00 EST, with hashtag #greenslime. (Photos and text compiled by Resource Media.)

Photo by Shutterstock.

Heading back to school inevitably presents dilemmas for those who think about the planet. Consider those horrible fundraising scams where kids sell useless junk (or nutrition-less junk food) and subscriptions to magazines people will never read. Or the mess of fallen soldiers littering the frat house the morning after the homecoming bash.

Two thoughtful students wrote to Umbra in search of solutions. She responded with a veritable symphony of moneymaking possibilities (Sell organic twinkies! Start a Lady Gaga cover band!) and a short Sustainability 101 course for greening up a college campus. (Hint: Get to know the maintenance staff.)

Umbra, for one, believes that children are our future. Teach them well and, well, you know. (Sing it!) Read the full column here.

It's that time of year again: No, not election season -- it's party time! A reader writes to say her sorority is about to go on a major Jell-O shot bender. Being a responsible drinker, she continues, "We want to get drunk, but we also want to protect the environment."

As you should. And Umbra is here to end the paper-vs.-plastic Jell-O cup debate (hint: neither) and tell you what's really in that gelatinous goo (it's not horse hooves, but it's equally disgusting).

This year marks the 10th anniversary of our Ask Umbra advice column, and to celebrate, we’re pulling a favorite gem of eco-advice out of the archives each week.

Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

For even more green goodness, you can follow Umbra on Twitter (@AskUmbra) or become a fan on Facebook.

It has been a banner year for lobstermen along the New England coast, where the harvest has been of epic proportions. They’re probably not getting rich on it, though -- the lobster invasion has driven prices down.

In the latest episode of Slow Ride Stories, our climate-talking heroes Erik and Albert head down to the hahbah in Gloucester, Mass., to talk lahbstah with some of the men who know these clawed crustaceans best. We learn a little about how the critters work, and what locals are saying about the role of climate change in this uncharacteristic year.

A local lobster wholesaler says he’s not convinced that climate change has anything to do with the warmer-than-usual waters that likely led to the bounty this year. A lobster fisherman and wooden boat builder quips, "Maybe Al Gore is right."