Climate Culture
All Stories
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.) […]
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Climate news, all poetic-like
Hello, and happy Poem In Your Pocket Day! We thought we’d celebrate with a climate-news poem. Because this is also Katharine Is Really Busy Day, it’s not a long poem. However! There will be more climate-change poems coming your way soon. Only on Grist.org. Rep. Henry WaxmanThere once was a sponsor named WaxmanWhom critics described […]
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“The Goode Family,” a new cartoon, makes enviros cringe
As promised, The Goode Family, a new cartoon from the King of the Hill folks, is “an animated caricature of every Whole-Foods-shopping, hybrid-driving, African-orphan-adopting, vegan-dog-having do-gooder you’ve ever met.” Find out what’s so funny about trying to be Goode when the show premieres May 27 on ABC. Here’s a trailer:
