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Articles by Ask Umbra®

The New York Times calls Umbra Fisk "a trailblazer in the field of eco-advice columnists" and "the arch online sage of the new green age." Her latest passion: kale smoothies ... no, sorry, civic engagement, because getting political is the only way we'll get a planet that doesn't burn and a future that doesn't suck. Ask Umbra a question here.

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  • Ask Umbra on food dehydrators, cage-free and free-range poultry, and e-readers

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I am enthusiastic about growing my own food in my small garden and I am looking for ways to preserve my produce for use out of season. I cook and freeze some things and have done some canning, but this year I thought I would make things […]

  • Ask Umbra’s pearls of wisdom on stress

    Dearest readers, Achy muscles from hunching over your computer? Tumultuous tummy from crazy deadlines? Tension headache from staring at that tiny cell phone screen too long? Well, April is National Stress Awareness Month and today is National Stress Awareness Day, so step away from the laptop, the calendar, and the phone for some deep breathing […]

  • Ask Umbra on birth control, single-serve coffee, and sanitizing countertops

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, In light of Lisa Hymas’ current series on GINKing, can you fill us in on the most eco-friendly forms of birth control currently available? Keeping It Kid FreeSeattle A. Dearest Kid Free, Indeed the “green inclinations, no kids” (GINK) posts have caused quite the stir. I’ve only […]

  • Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Are you a possum?

    Dearest readers, Thank you all so much for joining me this week as we got down and dirty with our first book club selection, Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and With (Almost) No Money, hitting all the hot buttons like leaving the rat race, eating meat, and bucking the education system. […]