Girls. Crushing cars. We had a dream: Automobiles, being recycled. But first being crushed, slowly, by heavy machinery. All the while surrounded by skeezy dancing girls in bikinis. Well, we bring good news, brothers and sisters. The dream is real. The dream is real. Photo: Aachen Auto/Keith Bragg. Redressage in a bottle A lovelorn sailor places his message in a bottle and casts it to sea, in search of human connection across the vast waters that separate continents, the vast distances that separate souls. Against all hope: a reply! Hands shaking, he unfurls the message, and reads ... "Quit littering!" …

In the valuable new book Fields of Plenty: A Farmer's Journey in Search of Real Food and the People Who Grow It, author Michael Ableman rambles across the country in a VW van, visiting small-scale farmers to talk with them at the table and in the field. Vine and dandy. Photo: Chrissi Nerantzi. Not surprisingly, he encounters an array of colorful characters, including Bob Cannard, a celebrated Northern California micro-scale organic farmer. Whereas most farmers -- even organic ones -- work mightily to beat back weeds, Cannard exults in his. In fact, he's trying to obliterate the distinction between weed …

Dear Umbra, We will be putting in new flooring in the very near future. My first choice was hardwood, but I have recently read a lot about bamboo. Because it is renewable, it seems to be a better option. But how is it grown? Who is harvesting it? Are the people in the industry fair to their employees? Is it truly a better option for the environmentally conscious, or just a marketing tactic? Kathleen DiBacco Darien, Ill. Dearest Kathleen, Wood is a renewable resource, too, don't forget. The bamboo situation is definitely interesting. I'm afraid that while bamboo has become …

Dear Umbra, If I have to replace my old carpet, what are the environmental pros and cons of the different choices? (Ceramic tile, carpet, or the laminate flooring sold at Home Depot seem to be the most common.) And can I recycle my old carpet? Claudia Bloom Mesa, Ariz. Dearest Claudia, I'm going to lay out all the flooring choices of which I'm aware, and I'll talk about some of them in depth in upcoming columns. In terms of your carpet, you might be able to recycle it or give it for reuse if it's not in bad condition. Call …

Do these pants make my opposition to wind farms look fat? Seeking to battle charges of out-of-touch, upper-class elitism, Kennedy scion Robert F. has taken up ... modeling? Yup, he and his fam are featured in a new fashion campaign by sportswear maker GANT (in exchange for a "six-figure" partnership with RFK's Waterkeeper Alliance). Tres chic, Bob, tres chic. Photo: GANT. Can you tell me how to drive to Sesame Street? It's not easy being greenwashed green. Unless, of course, you have $2.5 million to spend on 30 seconds worth of Super Bowl ad time to put Kermit the Frog …

At 25 years of age, Sundance is the country's premier festival of independent film. But a lot has changed over that quarter century. Well, actually, one thing has changed: m-o-n-e-y. There's a ton of Hollywood cash spent at Sundance, and I could see it everywhere I looked last week. The "VIP" corporate parties on Main Street. The piles of free stuff for celebrities. The Moviefone flacks in their garish red suits. The furry boots worn by nearly every female in town. In the midst of the hype, plenty of not-so-glamorous films were being screened. In fact, some watchers called this …

Dear Umbra, I just bought a home that needs lots of TLC, and would like to do it in a way that is best for the environment and my health. Do you have any advice about the best choice of interior paint? Every room in the house desperately needs new paint, but I'd like to avoid inhaling all the toxic who-knows-what in your basic everyday latex paint. Carrie WadmanPhoenixville, Pa. Dearest Carrie, My advice is to go with yellow, always the best choice for interior and exterior. Different strokes for different folks. For your own health, the top repainting environmental …

Recycling paper at your company? How's it going? If you answered "yes" to the first question and "not so good" to the second, you're in fine company. After years of trying, an astonishing number of outfits both large and small are having trouble accomplishing this seemingly simple task. At least, that's my conclusion after talking with companies -- and hearing from Grist readers. Same sheet, different day. Photo: iStockphoto. Why is paper recycling such a challenge? The answers have to do with the natural reluctance of people to change habits, with the designed-to-fail nature of many programs, and with the …

Dear Umbra, In this day and age, when many people seem to be getting rid of their "land lines" in favor of cell phones, I find myself wondering how these two options stack up against one another from an environmental-impact perspective. Doug QuirkEugene, Ore. Dearest Doug, I have a fairly strong anti-cell-phone bias. I am a cranky lady who believes they are eroding public manners and encouraging various irresponsibilities, some serious and others unimportant. But, as my father once enigmatically said, you can't stop the 5th Fleet. Whatever that means. Hang up and drive. Photo: iStockPhoto. Here is my own …

Emily Gertz is a regular contributor to WorldChanging.com, and an internet content and strategy consultant for nonprofits. She has written on environmental policy for BushGreenwatch, and on the intersections of environment, culture, art, and activism for The Bear Deluxe and other independent alternative publications. Thursday, 26 Jan 2006 New York, N.Y. I have seen the future of the environmental movement, and it isn't street demonstrators wearing polar-bear costumes. No, it is the Green Fairy: a very attractive brunette clothed in an outfit more reminiscent of a Playboy bunny than an Arctic animal, serving up tidbits of organic chocolate to a …