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  • Also known as bikes

    Is your car safe? I’m not talking seat belts and air bags. Nope, I’m asking about that new-car smell. Take a big whiff, and ask yourself again: Is your car safe? What you smell may be part of a toxic soup of chemicals off-gassing from parts like the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, and seat. These […]

  • Get your copy today!

    Outside mag

    The green issue of Outside hits the newsstands today -- flip it open, and what to your wondering eyes will appear but some wacko with a chainsaw and a skeptical guy in a newsboy cap. There they are, Grist President Chip Giller and Staff Writer David Roberts, illustrating a feature article about Grist. (Outside likes us, they really like us!) Stop squinting to read the tiny print -- check out an excerpt below the fold.

  • Endangered species and Beijing

    China is currently the world's largest consumer of illegal "wildlife products" -- 40 percent of the global market. And that number's only going to grow as its economy strengthens. WildAid has gone to the battlements with its Conservation Awareness program, using the '08 Olympics in Beijing as an opportunity to highlight the need for conservation. They'll be enlisting athletes to educate folks about this issue during the games, and have developed a number of PSAs featuring Chinese and other athletes, on view here.

  • Umbra on organic liquors

    Hi Umbra, After an epic weekend of drinking, I realized I’ve never seen or heard about any organic liquors. I’ve seen organic beer and wine, but never any organic gin, vodka, scotch, etc. Any chance I can drink in the future without having to feel guilty about not being organically drunk? David Tucker Rockville, Md. […]

  • Evangelical environmental movement gathering strength

    For some Christians, teaching the science of climate change contradicts religious beliefs. But a growing group of evangelical environmentalists has been working to change that view.

  • From Cleavage to Coasters

    She’s no boob Keeley Hazell isn’t just a pretty face — she’s also pretty green. (Literally, and not-safe-for-work-ly.) The “owner of Britain’s most famous cleavage” rides a scooter, buys organic, and said nay to breast implants. Way to nip those emissions in the bud. Photo: Action Images / WireImage.com Lemon rickety: a series of fortune-ate […]

  • Umbra on oil and plastic

    Dear Umbra, How much oil is used to make a pound (or some other comparable measure) of typical plastics? Melody Evans Paris, Ill. Dearest Melody, Ah, Paris. Is it as lovely in the springtime as they say? Yes, Ben, plastics … Photo: The Graduate (1967)/MGM Your question is a good and tricky one. Let’s start […]

  • The Weight of the World

    Exposure to chemicals could contribute to obesity, studies find Obesity is largely blamed on calories (too many) and exercise (too little), but recent studies suggest that chemical exposure may also pack on pounds. And it’s tough to diet from so-called “obesogens,” which show up in everything from pesticides to food containers. Chemicals found to produce […]

  • Anika Rahman, women’s- and reproductive-rights advocate, answers questions

    Anika Rahman. What work do you do? What’s your job title? I’m the president of Americans for UNFPA. UNFPA, or the United Nations Population Fund, is essentially the United Nations’ women’s health agency. It provides women’s health care and promotes the rights of women all over the world. Working in 140 countries, it is the […]

  • Umbra on chlorine

    Dear Umbra, So I’ve been buying unbleached diapers for my baby, using chlorine-free laundry and dish soaps and non-chlorine bleached paper, and generally thinking that’s better for me and the environment. Then I go swimming in a chlorinated pool twice a week, sometimes with my kids! Is there a difference in the type of chlorine […]