Climate Culture
All Stories
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Bob Lutz: Fuel-efficient cars, like global warming, a crock of sh*t
“At $1.50 per gallon, the American public wants sport utilities and large pickup trucks.” — GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, going off-message from his boss Rick Wagoner’s pledge before Congress to implement “a dramatic shift in the company’s U.S. portfolio” toward “more fuel-efficient cars and crossovers”
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Umbra on e-books
Dear Umbra, I have noticed that digital book readers have started to enter the market and wonder if they are more ecologically sound than conventional books. I am interested in buying one but suspect that they are full of metals that damage the environment in their production. Also, they would use up energy when in […]
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Food Fight snags documentary honor
For those of you who don’t get quite enough of my writing, you can see me holding forth on the big screen! That is, if the documentary Food Fight finds a distributor. I hope it does; I hear it’s good. (I do get quite enough of my writing, and I’m repelled by the idea of […]
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O come all ye enemies of the human race
The American Coalition for Coal Ponies, or America’s Manly Power, or whatever they’re called, has a site up where you can watch little lumps of coal singing bastardized holiday songs. Yes: exploiting religious hymns in service of selling a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans a year and may soon make the planet […]
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This gift guide saves energy — and it’s recession-proof!
Don’t get wrapped up in holiday stress. Giving green is easy! OK, so gas prices have eased up a bit — but the economy’s still tanking. Wouldn’t it be oh-so-thoughtful to give your loved ones gifts that can help them save money this year? Gifts that also save energy, which helps ye olde […]
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A review of The Big Necessity
Great non-fiction writing is like great fiction writing: It produces books that are hard to put down, that give you insight into yourself and others, and that change the way you look at the world. A young woman named Rose George has produced a great work of reporting and, for my money, has likely produced […]
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How to green your giving
Give the gift of green. It’s a lovely thing, giving a gift. Whatever the tradition or religion, whatever the source of the custom, there’s no arguing that it’s a lovely thing. However, that lovely thing has been corrupted by our out-of-whack consumer society. No longer is sentiment enough — that sentiment must be expressed through […]
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Umbra on store-brand organics
Hey Umbra, What with organic foods being so expensive, I’m often tempted to buy the store-brand organic produce that’s cropping up lately. Are the store brands as good (i.e., pesticide free) as any other brand of organic food? I can’t help but be suspicious. Thanks!Confused in Jersey Dear CJ, Organic is a USDA-certified labeling program. […]
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Review of Fields of Fuel
Back in July, I reviewed a documentary film called Fields of Fuel directed by Josh Tickell. That film recently returned to Seattle after being reedited and renamed, Fuel. I actually think this new iteration is worth seeing with the caveat that you take the conspiracy theories and convoluted defenses of food-based biodiesel with a grain […]
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