Climate Culture
All Stories
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From Wiener to Whimper
Rubbed the wrong way Climate-change impact aside, here’s another reason not to have meat in the house: “The victims told deputies they awoke Saturday morning to the stranger applying spices to one of them and striking the other with an 8-inch sausage.” The Iceman steameth Seems Mr. Kilmer is making a Val-iant effort to bring […]
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Energy Star program needs improvement, says Consumer Reports
The U.S. EPA is facing off with Consumer Reports over the federal Energy Star program, which rates the energy efficiency of products in more than 50 categories. In a recent article, the consumer magazine declares that Energy Star “standards are too easy to reach and federal test procedures haven’t kept pace with new technology,” noting […]
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Judging a tomato contest, and celebrating with a fresh, tomato-y gumbo
You say tomato … All my life, I have wanted to be a professional tomato taster. I am happy to report that on August 18, 2008, I had the chance to serve as a judge (unpaid, so, OK, not exactly professional, but still …) in the 24th annual Massachusetts tomato contest, organized by the Massachusetts […]
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Umbra on being an energy-efficient renter
Dear Umbra, I’m an apartment dweller in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it doesn’t get too cold or too hot. Still, my energy bill is much too high for my liking and I’m wondering what I can do to bring down the cost and the waste. Any suggestions for non-homeowners? Sarah J. Oakland, Calif. […]
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Transportation stuff
Still catching up with stuff I missed. On the public transportation front, check out this article about the rare prospect of having an Amtrak fan (Biden) in the White House, a cool chart from Brookings comparing Obama and McCain on a range of important transportation issues, and this happy AP story about transit ridership skyrocketing.
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Just the third R, thanks
When the city of London, Ontario, banned bottled water, Refreshments Canada ("voice of the non-alcoholic beverages industry") lamented "a real missed opportunity to do something positive for the environment." Come again? It seems London passed up "a chance to expand recycling." Really. Awesome.
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Slower
Kent A. Sepkowitz doesn’t mention it in this op-ed about lowering auto speeds, but it would save a heck of a lot of gas too. I’m sure politicians will be eager to propose it!
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Eleven organic breakfast cereals get put to the spoon
The scene was surreal … I mean, cereal. I awoke from deadline-anxiety dreams one Sunday morning, and crept down to the kitchen at the farmhouse where I work. There I found a dozen people chomping breakfast cereal, scribbling down notes, and trading bon mots. Coincidentally, the farmhouse had been packed with guests that weekend, including […]
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Umbra on bedbugs
Dear Umbra, I desperately need your help. My house has become infested with bedbugs! I’m trying to find an environmentally friendly way to get rid of them. I’ve tried a thorough cleaning and tried using diatomaceous earth (fossil shell flour) to no avail. The local exterminator is looking more and more appealing. Please stop me […]
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Slow Food Nation was magnificent in many ways, but overshot its mandate
Photo: karmacamilleeon Slow Food Nation — that grand, sprawling culinary event that seemed to permeate San Francisco over Labor Day weekend — has passed. Now we can ask: What was it? A brazen display of foodie elitism, as some critics charge? A transformative moment in an ongoing effort to overthrow the industrial food system, as […]
