Climate Culture

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  • Reno 9-year-old finds simple, smart water-saving solution

    Two years ago, Mason Perez, then seven, went to wash deposits of ballpark ketchup and relish off his hands and face. The water in the Reno Aces ballpark poured out the faucet so hard and fast that it hurt his hands. His mom turned down the faucet, and that's when Perez had a brilliant, simple […]

    Sarah Laskow Culture

  • Hoofin’ it: Ask Umbra on faux-leather Birkenstocks

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I love Birkenstocks, but what’s the deal with Birko-Flor? A leather alternative, sure. But they’re vinyl, and I believe vinyl is a four-letter word in Grist world. Would I be better off just sticking to traditional leather-upper Birks? JenniferBrooklyn, N.Y. Heart and sole. Photo: pi?A. Dearest Jennifer, […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Finally, Congress has a sensible solution to high gas prices: Drive less

    Rep. Earl Blumenauer and the congressional Livable Communities Task Force are still patiently trying to explain to the rest of Congress that it might be a good idea for people to be able to move around without cars. Yesterday, the task force put out a report outlining the startling concept that people might be less […]

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • Watch a ridiculously adorable kid encourage the world to ride a bike

    This kid just learned to ride a bike, and it made him feel happy of himself! You can do it too! He knows you can believe in yourself!

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • Great places, great food (and beer): part two

    You can’t have a great place without great beer.In part one of my musings on food and “great places,” I painted a bleak picture of the U.S. food landscape: one in which a handful of companies churn out mountains of low-quality food, competing not to see who can put out the best product, but rather […]

    Tom Philpott Culture

  • Live for free (almost) in a tiny home

    How big is 320 square feet? It's roughly the size of a school bus. And Debra and Gary live in that amount of space with their teenage son. Why? Well, for starters, because it cost them $15,000 to build and now they're mortgage-free. They pay less than $150 a month to rent the land, which […]

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • Critical List: John Bryson’s green credentials; biodegradable cups end as methane

    John Bryson, Obama's new pick for commerce secretary, is a dyed-green-in-the-wool environmentalist (he co-founded NRDC), who's taken a swing through the corporate world. The U.N. carbon market shrunk for the first time since it was founded in 2005. Who's to blame? The U.S. Senate, of course! (Well, among others, but we have the most fun […]

    Sarah Laskow Culture

  • Suburban corporate campuses are going out of fashion

    Is the corporate suburban stampede finally reversing? Photo: KevinCross-posted from the Natural Resources Defense Council. In the late 1990s, when Don Chen, Matt Raimi, and I were researching our book, Once There Were Greenfields, we lamented the flight of business from America’s central cities to increasingly outer suburbs and farmland. In that book we frequently […]

    Kaid Benfield Culture

  • Greening Barbie’s Dream House

    Architect Barbie is building a new Dream House, and she needs help! Members of the American Institute of Architects can submit plans that fit Barbie's criteria, which include a house that "should reflect the best sustainable design principles." But Barbie's idea of "sustainable design" needs a little tweaking. Girlfriend wants a huge closet for her […]

    Sarah Laskow Culture

  • Dim bulbs: Umbra on the supposed dangers of CFLs

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, My sister recently posted a story about CFLs causing cancer to her Facebook feed. Is there anything to this latest attempt to vilify the little lamps? Brian Spokane, Wash. Are these maybe not such a bright idea? More research is needed.Photo: Derek GaveyA. Dearest Brian, Those little […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture