When high-school sweethearts Alicia Gomer and Mark Wittink got engaged in December 2001, they pledged that their wedding would reflect their commitment to ecological issues. Gomer, who is working on an M.S. in environmental science policy, and Wittink, a project director at the Resource Conservation Alliance in Washington, D.C., were "shocked at the lack of green options in wedding planning. We had no idea what a consumptive, high-impact industry weddings can be," Gomer says. About 2.4 million couples get married every year in the U.S., at an average cost of $20,000 per wedding, generating total revenues of some $70 billion, …

Everyone knows you can eat corn -- but can you eat using plates, cups, and forks made from corn? Absolutely, and doing so can help reduce both waste and oil consumption, say advocates of biodegradable corn products. Although it's not quite true that "anything that can be made from a barrel of crude oil can be made from a kernel of corn," as Randy Cruise, a Nebraska farmer put it, it's not far off: Corn can be used to make environmentally friendly plastics and fibers, and has already found its way into products from clothing to food packaging. It takes …

Hi Umbra, I live in Providence, R.I., and I have a basic composting bin; it's about three feet tall, made of black plastic with ventilation shafts on all four sides and on top, but it has no bottom. I want to set this up in my tiny side yard for my neighbors and me to use. However, we have a big rat problem here and I am afraid all this delicious, rotting food will attract them. Is there any way to keep a rat-free compost bin in a city? MichelleProvidence, R.I. Dearest Michelle, Rats are amazing creatures that have adapted …

Dear Umbra, I grew up in a house built in 1812. Until 1962, we still used an outhouse that was built with the house. My mother said that when she was a girl (in the 1920s), a man used to come around and clean it out each year, but it was never done in my memory. The seats were built about 10 feet over the debris and it never seemed to fill up. We did put lime (the kind you buy for your garden) in it. Some people now use outhouses where they camp, but I have heard that they …

Dear Sequin-Wearing Award Ceremony Audience, Folks, we have a winnah! That's right: The results are in from the first annual and perhaps only "Cheer Us Up the Weather Is Godawful and We're at War" contest. We know the weather is beyond our control, but let us all work fervently to limit the possibility that we could have this contest again. If you get what I mean. But, eager readers, back to the matter at hand. In my last column, I put out a call for a clever, meaningful word for "anti-environmentalist" -- a word that would be both withering in …

Note: You'll need Flash Player to watch the movie. If you don't have it, download it now.

Pollution in North America decreased by 5 percent between 1995 and 2000, according to a report released today by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, established under the North American Free Trade Agreement. In 2000, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico released 3.6 million tons of pollution. Of that, 1.5 million tons went directly into the air, water, or ground, while the remainder was sent to recycling operations (1 million) or for treatment, energy recovery, or disposal. The worst offenders were industries located in just three states (Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) and one province (Ontario, Canada), which together accounted for as much …

Actress Angelina Jolie, who played a tough-chick adventurer in the movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," is taking on a new role: eco-crusader. She has pledged to donate at least $1.3 million over the next few years to establish a wildlife sanctuary in northwest Cambodia, a region that until five years ago was controlled by remnants of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Known as the "100 Elephants Forest," the pristine area is thought to be home to Cambodia's last remaining wild elephants and tigers. A portion of Jolie's donation will also go to help war veterans and amputees in the conflict-ravaged …

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Photo: Frank Ockenfels. In the lead-up to Earth Day on April 22, the folk duo Indigo Girls will hit the road with Native American activist Winona LaDuke for a two-week Honor the Earth tour. Beginning April 10, Grammy Award-winners Emily Saliers and Amy Ray will talk -- and sing -- about the connections between the environment, energy, Native American issues, and U.S. foreign and domestic policy. Proceeds from the tour will go to Honor the Earth's Energy Justice Initiative to support wind power and other alternative-energy developments in native communities. Grist Magazine spoke to Saliers …