Climate Culture
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Teeny tiny tiny digs [slideshow]
Urban apartment dwellers are nothing if not scrappy. New Yorkers, of course, are famous for stuffing themselves into shoe boxes with hotplates. But there’s more to the story than affordability. More of us are choosing to minimize our footprint. Less space, less stuff, less stress. The cliche holds true in this sense: the less space […]
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Ask Umbra’s Book Club launches
Dearest readers, You know what an extraordinary book nerd I am. And the secret’s out: I know many of you are, too. That’s where the splendiferous new Ask Umbra’s Book Club comes in, because there’s just too much book love to keep all to myself. Here’s how it’ll work: I’ll announce a juicy eco-minded […]
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A rich guy’s guide to saving the oceans
To save the oceans (A checklist) Be heir to a vast fortune Be named David Get a “green” boat Sail around the world to promote education and awareness about dismal ocean health Remind everyone you’re on a boat, Mother Earth, don’t you ever forget! Challenge other heir David sailing around world in support of oceans […]
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Garden Girl TV: indoor gardening, part three
In this episode, I show you how to build the shelves for your indoor garden. Mine are up off the floor about 14 inches, which ensure my seedlings get as much direct sunlight as possible. This is a power tool moment, but don’t worry. It’s easy. I’ll show you how. Can’t get enough of […]
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Asphalt becomes a developer’s best friend
Photo: jgrimm FlickrNobody loves a parking lot, its endless heat-trapping concrete where visitors wander for what feels like eons, searching for their car. At least, nobody loved them until recently. Suddenly, greyfields–underutilized squares of asphalt–seem like goldmines. (Okay, this happens to be the title of a book on the subject, though it covers dead malls […]
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The latest musical trend is annoying the Senate into climate action
The Black Eyed Peas don’t want the Senate’s foot-dragging to bring about the E.N.D. of the world as we know it.Photo: chandecde via Flickr When I say, “Senate political deadlock,” what’s the first thing you think of? If it’s a nap, then maybe your iPod isn’t turned up loud enough. The latest musical trend, outside […]
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London’s transportation transformation for the 2012 Olympics [Video]
Congestion pricing has been a huge success in London — reducing traffic and making money for the city. What’s more, it challenges the notion that cities should be designed around cars rather than people. But as we’ll learn in this episode of e2, congestion pricing is the core of a much more sweeping vision that […]
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Portsmouth hastens down the wind [Video]
While federal legislation to reduce our carbon footprint hits gridlock in Washington D.C., small communities across the nation are quietly going green. See what a small New England town is doing to reduce their carbon footprint by 50 percent and raise money in the process. Their 1.5 megawatt wind turbine started generating power on March […]
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What climate scientists aren’t telling us
They’re secretly unicycling jugglers! Turns out you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do it, though — just a climate scientist. At least that’s the case for NASA climate modeler Gavin Schmidt, who, after he’s done juggling data to pin down atmospheric changes, likes to space out by tossing pins and balls into […]
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What are your best ideas for saving energy at home?
Our friends at Slate have launched a new project that’s collecting practical suggestions for living a more energy-efficient life. Check out the ideas offered so far, vote on your favorites, and submit your own. A panel of judges, including yours truly, will help choose the top ideas. If you’re in the D.C. area, join Slate […]
