Climate Culture

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  • Gobs of green ideas for Mother’s Day

    Look, Ma, no pesticides!iStock OK, it’s one thing to say Screw Earth Day, but there are some holidays you just don’t toy with. We know enough to leave Mother’s Day alone. You don’t have to pull this car over. In honor of the day, we hereby present great green gift ideas for ma. Not that […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • From Uranus to You’re Welcome

    Fancy pants These little eco-friendly “soy shorts” are made from tofu by-products, allowing you to help save planet earth starting with Uranus. [vodpod id=Video.16091717&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] (Click below to see the next item in this week’s Grist List—or view them all on a single page.)

    Sarah van Schagen Culture

  • For some eco-pioneers, solving the sludge problem means getting their hands dirty

    Part 3 of Grist’s special series on poop. Laura Allen, a 33-year-old teacher from Oakland, California, has a famous toilet. To be honest, it’s actually a box, covered in decorative ceramic tiles, sitting on the cement floor of her bathroom like a throne. No pipes lead to or from it; instead, a bucket full of […]

    Catherine Price Culture

  • Catching up with eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes

    We first profiled Summer Rayne Oakes in 2006, introducing readers to a belly-baring, sludge-loving 22-year-old with “superhuman ambition” and a moniker that was just too fitting to be made up. Since then, Oakes has been a loyal friend to Grist; she’s done occasional fashion blogging for us, and she participated in one of our fundraising […]

    Katharine Wroth Culture

  • Ask Umbra on hydro power at home

    Q. Dear Umbra, Please tell me you didn’t just imply that hydroelectric is a clean energy source. You didn’t just say that, did you? Brian K.Eugene, Ore. You’ve got the power in your hands.iStockA. Dearest Brian, In my recent column on living off the grid, I pledged to discuss micro-hydro as a power source for […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Is ‘lifestyle change’ to be feared?

    Brad Plumer has a nice little video over at TNR today, playing off Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski’s comment that meeting our climate goals will mean cutting back on consumption and consumerism — that is, it will require the dread “lifestyle changes.” Brad notes that efficiency and renewable power don’t necessarily force any lifestyle changes. (A […]

    David Roberts Culture

  • A sudsy study of eco-label shampoos

    What is it about the women in shampoo commercials who gasp and sigh in orgasmic ecstasy as they lather their locks with glorified soap? If they only knew exactly what was in those suds, their exclamations might be less “oooh” and more “ew.” Thanks to gravity, whatever you rub into your scalp during your shower […]

    Sarah van Schagen Culture

  • Stimulating coffee lectures in Seattle focus on sustainability

    Ever wonder exactly what goes into your morning coffee (aside from milk and sugar, of course)? A series of lectures this spring at the University of Washington attempts to answer just that question. The UW is serving up its public-speaker series Coffee: From the Grounds Up as a complement to the cultural exhibit Coffee: The […]

    Sarah van Schagen Culture

  • Ask Umbra on flag flying

    Q. Dear Umbra, Like any proud American, I want to fly our flag 24 hours a day to show my reverence for this awesome country. I am torn, though, because section 6a of the Flag Code requires the flag to be lit up during hours of darkness and this conflicts with my desire to cut […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • From Sadist to Satire

    Photo: Elisabeth Buecher Guilt dripThese sadistic Puff & Flock (!) shower curtains slowly inflate with every water-wasting moment you spend bathing — because the suffocating guilt you feel just isn’t enough.   (Click below to see the next item in this week’s Grist List — or view them all on a single page.)     […]

    Sarah van Schagen Culture