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  • Bahraini government tries to destroy a place that inspired its people

    Protesters gathered at Bahrain’s Pearl Monument in February.Photo: Mahmoud Al-YousifThe Bahraini government is apparently hoping that by destroying the monument that gave the Pearl Roundabout its “placeness,” it will diffuse the energy of protesters who have been gathering there since Feb. 14. Some have died there. From CNN: Security forces in Bahrain on Friday demolished […]

    Sarah Goodyear Culture

  • How plastic could help save the environment

    Plastic isn’t the problem, you are, says science writer Susan Freinkel. Freinkel argues that plastic could actually help save the environment — it takes less energy to produce than many other materials, it makes a lot of green tech possible, and it replaces materials that are “sustainable” only because they come from destroying animals or […]

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • No one can agree whether or not Cali is due for a Japan-style shakedown

    Submitted without comment: Special report: Big California quake likely to devastate state ReutersJapan-style earthquake and tsunami unlikely to hit Southern California, experts say Los Angeles Times

    Christopher Mims Culture

  • The Men Who Cried Wolf

    If a fire broke out in your office right now, would you know what to do? Would you know where to go? You likely would, thanks in large part to codes requiring fire exits and fire drills. Today, we accept these basic standards without even pausing; they are plain common sense rules government has developed […]

    Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins Culture

  • Putting a price on a city’s streets

    Streetfilms has dropped the latest in its “Moving Beyond the Automobile” series, this time explaining the economics behind congestion pricing for automobiles. The idea behind congestion pricing for automobiles is really pretty simple: “One of the most precious resources in a city is space, and that space needs to be priced.” That’s how New York […]

    Sarah Goodyear Culture

  • Edward Glaeser: Tea Party-style libertarianism could be good for our cities

    Cities: Land of the free, home of the brave.Photo: Thomas HawkWhen I talked with economist Edward Glaeser last month about his new book Triumph of the City, he touched briefly on the idea that Tea Party activists, rather than being natural adversaries of city-dwellers, are actually natural allies — if only unwittingly. Here’s what he […]

    Sarah Goodyear Culture

  • Irish scientists help Guinness go green

    Photo: Simon HuckoJust in time for St. Patrick’s Day, scientists at the University of Limerick have developed a biodegradable alternative to that plastic widget that keeps Guinness foamy. It turns out that coating the inside of the can with biodegradable, natural cellulose would do an even better job of putting nitrogen into the beer (which […]

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • Hemp chair is not just eco-friendly, it’s eco-kind

    You know those hiddy plastic stackable chairs that you see on basically every porch, stoop, and backyard? (I have some. They came with the house.) Well, what if they were biodegradable, made with sustainable materials, and kind of awesome looking? And also made out of pot? TOTAL DREAM CHAIR, right? Okay, so Werner Aisslinger’s stackable […]

    Jess Zimmerman Culture

  • Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy

    This is the second column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Here’s one way to fund bicycle infrastructure: Stop building freeways in cities. Better yet, tear down the ones we already have. Cities are starting to catch on that becoming bicycle friendly is one of the best investments they can make. Cities […]

    Elly Blue Culture

  • Ask Umbra on nail polish and its disposal

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, How do I dispose of my formaldehyde-laden nail polish in an environmentally safe fashion? Can I recycle the glass bottle and plastic top in my recycling with the polish inside? JacquiePetaluma, CA Don’t just toe the line! Use less toxic polish.Photo: Maureen LunnA. Dearest Jacquie, What a […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture