Climate Culture
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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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Grist video kicks off Global Day of Climate Action 2008
In honor of the fourth annual Global Day of Climate Action on Dec. 6 and the global climate talks currently going down in Poznan, Poland, Grist put together a little video to get everyone thinking about how they’re acting to change the climate — for better or for worse. We’re working with other green orgs […]
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From Racy to Race
Strung out The students at Allegheny College are on clothespins and needles worrying about climate change. So they’ve hung their cares underwears out to dry … hey, is that a Hood Thong? Puddle stumper This guy is really hitting the pavement to raise awareness about climate change; hope he doesn’t get in over his head. […]
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Are Christmas trees really ever green?
"Can you decorate your Fraser fir without getting pesticide residue in your lungs and on your skin?" The NYT answers: Sure, if the tree is certified organic by the Department of Agriculture. Or if it is a Certified Naturally Grown tree, which meets the same basic requirements: it was raised without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, […]
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Test-tube flesh, coming soon to a hot dog near you
In Checkout Line, Lou Bendrick cooks up answers to reader questions about how to green their food choices and other diet-related quandaries. Lettuce know what food worries keep you up at night. —– Dear Lou, I hear that PETA has come out in favor of the development of test-tube meat. What’s up with that? I […]
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Review of a converted 3Prong Power plug-in Prius
The world is waiting for the major car companies to offer electric vehicles. But you — you are accustomed to instant gratification. This is America, after all, and you want to plug-in now. Well, you don’t have to wait for the Big Three to get out of their corporate jets and get to work. You […]
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Long forgotten, chestnuts are coming back with a vengeance, and make a delicious holiday pudding
Nuts about chestnuts. I first learned about chestnuts from “The Christmas Song” (most likely, the Chipmunks’ version), not from tasting one. That happened much later. A couple of years ago, a farmer brought locally grown chestnuts to the back door of the restaurant where I worked. My coworkers and I were excited to […]
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Umbra on turning down the heat
Dear Umbra, Many of my friends are environmentally minded and do lots of things to try to have a smaller carbon footprint. Yet when I tell people I turn my heat down when I leave the house even for an hour or two, and that I turn it down to 50 at night, they say, […]
