Climate Culture

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  • Celebrate Earth Day by ditching annoying green clichés

    I’m all about the three R’s that have been the standby of every Earth Day since 1970: reduce, reuse, recycle. Got it. Even so, this Earth Day, I’m beseeching the world to do the unthinkable: stop recycling … those annoying green clichés, that is. I think it’s gee-golly-swell that environmental issues have started gaining such […]

    Ashley Braun Culture

  • A very important Earth Day message

    David Roberts Culture

  • Putting a bounty of paper towels to the test

    Are your paper towels poisoning the planet? OK, I admit it: it’s not the sexiest product to test. Hard as I tried to convince a recent pair of weekend houseguests to take part in my experiments, they left without touching a single sheet. But paper towels are an everyday item that can make a big […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Pollan envy

    For people involved in the TV business, I imagine watching The Wire — David Simon’s novelistic depiction of big-city dysfunction on HBO — generates mixed feelings. On one hand: Damn that’s good. On the other: Damn. That’s really good. It makes what once seemed excellent appear merely adequate; what was once adequate now worthless. It […]

    David Roberts Culture

  • The candidates are overlooking the ultimate green-collar job

    Amid the din of the Pennsylvania primary and Earth Day, it seems a fitting time to talk about where the Democratic candidates stand when it comes to Mother Earth. Have the leading Dems forgotten America’s greenest job? Photo: Freaking News Both candidates have called for ushering in a new green economy. Sen. Barack Obama has […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Most Americans don’t believe global warming will pose a threat to them

    A new series of Pew polls shows public concern for climate change is out of sync with the science:

    Gallup Poll results

    Maywa Montenegro Culture

  • Calculate how much water your lifestyle requires

    Remember when calculating your carbon footprint was all the rage? Ah, those were the days … but the carbon crisis is so yesterday’s news. The Next Big Thing is the water crisis, and as such, I present a little website called Waterfootprint.org. Use it to calculate your individual water footprint — or see how much […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra on energy-hog roommates

    Dear Umbra, My roommate takes 45-minute showers, does 10 loads of laundry a day, and spends her days watching show after show on TV. What is a nice or subtle way to get her to “cool down” (she didn’t like us secretly turning down the water heater)? Thanks, Tested Tom Belmont, Calif. Dearest Tom, Obviously […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Cats and dogs contaminated with chemicals, says study

    Fido and Fluffy are contaminated with higher levels of toxic chemicals than humans are, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group. In a test of the blood and urine of dozens of cats and dogs, researchers found 48 industrial chemicals. The contamination likely comes from such actions as gnawing on plastic toys, sleeping […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Friday music blogging: Cloud Cult

    We’ve done a lot of gushing on this site about the ecologically and musically righteous band Cloud Cult. See Sarah here, or me here, here, and here. Also I interviewed singer Craig Minewa here, and we put the band on our top 15 list here. Cloud Cult.So I won’t go over all of it again. […]

    David Roberts Culture