Climate Culture
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How to turn your backyard into the best pizzeria in town
Photo: Whitney BrownWhat is it about the flicker of a flame, the crackle of burning wood, and the wafting clouds of wood smoke that enchant us so? Combine an outdoor fire with a spring breeze dancing on one’s skin and the sound of leaves rustling in the trees, and merriment abounds. The effect is liberating; […]
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Eat real. Eat local. Eat … Hellmann’s Mayo?
The website is abysmal, full of Flash-animated chaos and tabs that bring up one-line slogans. The message is … twisted. For some reason, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, a U.S.-based subsidiary of European processed-food behemoth Unilever, has seen fit to subject Canada (Canada?) to an eat-local campaign. Analyzing this bizarre development transcends my gifts as a social critic. […]
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Lingerie model nudie by nature, and more
Nudie by natureLingerie model Miranda Kerr says she “decided to go au naturel to raise awareness of the environment, specifically koalas.” Well, we’re not sure what her Aussie Stone cover is doing for the koalas, but it’s sure raising a whole lot of something. (Click below to see the next item in this week’s […]
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The digital TV conversion is here — are you e-ready?
We interrupt your life to bring you this reminder: By June 12, all television signals in the U.S. will be digital. Seriously. So here’s an e-guide to ease your mind. Wait, WTF is happening again? The signals from all TV stations, which were analog for decades, will now be digital. This transition actually began in […]
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George Will hates greens, cartoons … and shopping
Shrewdly waiting until the buzz died down, George Will weighed in today on Mike Judge’s The Goode Family. His verdict: It sorta sucks, but thank god someone’s taking environmentalists down a peg. Let’s take a look at my paragraph-by-paragraph CliffsNotes version of his column: Too many people are asking “us” to save the planet. The […]
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An interview with cellist Ben Sollee, who will bike to Bonnaroo
Nestled into a lush farm in Manchester, Tennessee, the blockbuster Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will roll out an impressive set of sustainability green goals as a backdrop for its amazing slate of shows next weekend, June 11-14. The great lineup notwithstanding—from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to Wilco—acclaimed cellist and crooner Ben […]
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A new tool for navigating around overfishing and mercury taint
Chart by Neil Banas. Here’s a PDF version. Not long ago, I arrived at a fishmonger (Carrboro, N.C.’s Tom’s Seafood) just before closing time looking for a main course — preferably one that didn’t wouldn’t contribute to stripping the oceans bare or addle my tired brain with lashings of mercury (courtesy of coal-fired power […]
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Ask Umbra on eco-undies
Q. Dear Umbra, I’ve converted myself to clothing made in the USA, hemp, organic cotton, etc. The issue I am struggling with is the panties and bras. I am a 34D, and I need a decent amount of support. Even sports bras do me no justice (I usually wear my regular bra under them when […]
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A sizzling test of seven eco-sunscreen brands
Ah, summer. It’s here at last! Before you rush out to revel in the rays, you’ll (of course) slather on some sun protection. Since you know the problems with conventional sunscreens — which range from coral bleaching to hormone disruption — you’ll choose a brand that’s better for your body and the planet. But which […]
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Why you shouldn’t recycle that bright-orange paper
One of the thorniest questions I used to get as a recycling educator for the awesome grassroots recycling company EcoCycle in Boulder, Colo., was why ‘astrobright’ papers weren’t recyclable. You know this stuff: the super-dyed paper used by everyone from bands to Girl Scouts to make posters announcing their bake sales and death-metal guitar battles. […]
