Climate Culture
All Stories
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Six reasons to choose the dining room over the diner
There are lots of great restaurants out there, but eating out regularly adds up in many ways. Here are six reasons why eating at home is superior.
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Ask Umbra on surprising last-minute holiday gifts sure to cause a smile
A frenzied reader asks Umbra for last-minute, memorable and sustainable gift ideas. Read this and start checking off the naughty and nice on your list
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Why you should eat insects instead of meat [VIDEO]
Marcel Dicke (it's French or something, perv) argues that insects are a savory, eco-friendly alternative to meat. This is apparently not a joke.
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Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Would you blow up a mountain to save a bird species?
Umbra's discussion of her Book Club pick "Freedom" kicks off with a video of author Jonathan Franzen talking about compromises and energy options.
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Hunting, cooking, and eating squirrel [VIDEO]
You've heard about bugs being the next sustainable protein source, but what about squirrel? You may shudder, but plenty of cultures enjoy this plentiful, tasty meat -- and now, so do I.
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EPA names the nation's top smart-growth cities
When it comes to smart growth, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the smartest cities are New York, Baltimore, Portland, and San Francisco.
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Meet James McWilliams, meat-industry defender — and aggrieved vegan?
James McWilliams has made a career of defending the food industry from what he sees as its hysterical, unreasonable critics (such as yours truly). At several points, this mission has led him to defend industrial meat. All of this makes his latest -- a moralistic vegan screed -- hard to swallow.
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Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Does caring about the environment make you crazy?
Umbra kicks off discussion of her Book Club pick, Freedom, with a video of Jonathan Franzen talking about the mental toll of caring for the environment.
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How can clean electrons compete with dirty electrons?
One of the most fundamental challenges facing clean power is that, to put it simply, electrons are electrons. Power from a solar power plant, once it enters the transmission system, is indistinguishable from coal, nuclear, or natural gas power. To the end consumer, it's all just electricity -- or rather, it's all just lights coming on and dishwashers running. Given that, how can consumers be sold on clean electricity?
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Increasing consumer demand in China won't save us
In a much-celebrated recent article, ace reporter David Leonhardt argues that China can bail out the U.S. by transforming itself into the "world's next great consumer society." Given the specter of climate change, is this really the best way out of our economic abyss?
