Climate Culture

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  • Southern Baptist leaders urge action on climate change

    Photo: iStockphoto Over 40 prominent Southern Baptist leaders released a statement Monday urging action against climate change, asserting that “the time for timidity regarding God’s creation is no more.” The declaration is a notable departure from a statement released after the denomination’s 2007 annual meeting that questioned human impacts on climate change. “We believe our […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Notable quotable

    “I learned that God reveals himself through Scripture and in general through his creation, and when we destroy God’s creation, it’s similar to ripping pages from the Bible.” — Rev. James Merritt Jonathan Merritt, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention spokesman for the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative and signatory to the just-released […]

    David Roberts Culture

  • Solar-powered lawnmower cuts grass unsupervised

    OK, it’s not really called a Lawnba. But it’s still cool: The zero-emissions Husqvarna Automower Solar Hybrid is the world’s first solar/electric hybrid robot lawnmower. … The lawnmower uses the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb and is made from 90 percent recyclable materials. … The mower cuts the grass with small […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Moby’s new video pokes at KFC

    Bald techno-greenie Moby sends a chicken pimp after the Colonel in his "Disco Lies" video: “Disco lies” from Moby on Vimeo.

    Grist staff Culture

  • Would Jesus eat fish during Lent?

    Jennifer Jacquet of the Sea Around Us Project just published a solid and timely essay with Science & Spirit magazine. The piece begins by asking:

    If Jesus can turn two fish into enough to feed five thousand people, now would be a good time to intervene. According to researchers, each American ate nearly a half-pound more seafood last year than the year before. As we reach the end of the Christian season of Lent -- the period in which seafood consumption is at its highest -- scientists predict that, if the trend continues, wild marine fisheries will disappear in the next forty years.

    At issue is whether fish is meat (which, of course, it is). But in the 11th century, the Catholic Church "banned meat but sanctioned fish as a show of penance on Fridays and during the 40 days before Easter. When other observances with similar restrictions were added to the equation, the prohibition meant more than one hundred fish-only days per year" for Catholics.

    If the Pope is a Gristmill reader, then here's a call to action on your recent pledge to protect creation!

    Erik Hoffner Culture

  • Green Living For Dummies: yet another addition to slew of easy-being-green books

    I know no Grist reader will need this book (especially if you’ve got Grist’s opus), but the ubiquitous bumblebee-colored series has now turned its all-dummifying eye to the environment. Somewhere between Heartburn & Reflux For Dummies and Coaching Lacrosse For Dummies is your chance to learn what you’re really supposed to do with those mysterious […]

    Holly Richmond Culture

  • Senate passes consumer-safety bill that would reduce toxics in toys

    The U.S. Senate has passed legislation aimed at decreasing consumer exposure to dangerous products (like, oh, lead-tainted toys, to pick a random example). Specifically, the measure passed Thursday would increase the staff and budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; sharply reduce acceptable levels of lead and phthalates in toys; create a database of public […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Cuteness saves the climate

    I thought this was clever -- a Cliff Notes version of climate-friendly lifestyle choices. Click the image for the full-sized version.

    Clark Williams-Derry Culture

  • Rising food prices hit home around the world

    Is a change coming to your cart? Photo: iStockphoto Hey you, in the supermarket line — yeah, you, the one with the stuffed cart. Are you ready to pay up for those groceries? You’d better be, pal. That’s the message from Bill Lapp, former chief economist for the food giant Conagra. “I think [U.S.] consumers […]

    Tom Philpott Culture

  • Umbra on organic honey

    Dear Umbra, I was looking for a nice, local, organic honey to use in reworking some recipes so that they didn’t use sugar. So I headed to Whole Foods, and was stuck looking at a honey in a plastic container labeled organic from Brazil, and a local product in a glass container but not labeled […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture