Climate Culture

Ask Umbra: What's up with plastic made from plants?

Grist's new head honcho can't get his head around compostable, plant-based plastic. Umbra breaks it down.

Where’s the contraceptive for overconsumption? [VIDEO]

"What we need to really find for the future is the contraceptive for overconsumption," says Mother Jones reporter Julia Whitty in this PBS video.

This amazing off-grid hobbit house cost less than $5,000 to build

Self-taught builder Simon Dale constructed this straight-out-of-a-fantasy-novel house in four months for less than $5,000. The house is designed for low-impact building and low-impact living: it was made from reclaimed lumber and salvaged materials, and the Dales live off the grid, with a compost toilet, a green roof, spring-sourced water, and natural heating and cooling. […]

International family planning saves lives. So why is the GOP cutting it?

The GOP is committed to rolling back women's health rights that have made families and societies stronger across the developing world.

Tolkien parody turns recycling into an epic journey

What I know about Lord of the Rings can basically be summed up in a single Flight of the Conchords song, but someone clearly had a terrifically good time making this recycling-based parody, so I still think it's pretty super. I haven't yet stayed awake through an entire Lord of the Rings movie but I […]

If you want a green building, make it out of wood

The third little pig might have staved off disaster, but the second little pig was the greenest, according to the USDA. The agency looked at dozens of studies comparing wood to concrete and steel and declared wood the winner when it comes to emissions. Attempts to use materials other than wood in construction yield, on average, 2.1 tons more greenhouse gases per ton of material. 

Can you raise chickens in a one-bedroom apartment?

Well, it's not a good idea, but you can, according to the New York Daily News. They've got a story about Robert McMinn and Jules Corkery, who are raising three hens in their one bedroom in Queens.

Living off the grid: SUPER FUN

You know that fantasy you have where you move to Maine, go off the grid, and raise your children to know what nature and good old American values are like? Well, one family is living that fantasy, and writing about it for The New York Times.

All summer, Craig and Susannah Hopkins Leisher have been living with their three sons in a cabin in the Maine woods.

How environmental and women’s groups can work together

Green groups and women's health advocates used to butt heads over population, but they're increasingly finding common ground in their support for family planning.

City Limits: 'Urbanized' underestimates the allure of the 'burbs

The creator of Helvetica produces Urbanized, a gorgeous, smart, and slightly out of touch ode to the city.