Climate Culture

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  • An interview with author Chip Heath about making environmental messages sticky

    Quick, what’s the last political campaign slogan you remember? Is it the Democrats’ recent zinger, “Together, we can do better”? Probably not. You probably forgot that one before they got to “better.” Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Photo: Amy Surdacki In an age of instant media, ubiquitous advertising, and partisan politics, everyone wants to grab […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • From Bags to Beer

    Besides, plastic totally clashes with your outfit Paper or plastic? As if. BYOB is tote-ally hip: this burlap FEED sack recently made its way to NYC’s Fashion Week on the shoulder of Lauren Bush (yes, that Bush). And even waifish Keira Knightley can carry the I’m Not a Plastic Bag bag. Photo: We Are What […]

    Sarah K. Burkhalter & Sarah van Schagen Culture

  • Sister Hazell

    Britain’s favorite topless model is the latest eco-spokesperson Lots of climate and energy news today, so here’s some Friday frippery. How excited do you think Guy Adams of The Independent was when his editor told him to interview Keeley Hazell about her green principles? Hazell, well known in Britain as a winsome Page Three girl […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Young Dems sexify your mug

    It’s about cups. Sexy, sexy cups. Well, actually it’s about getting college students thinking about the planet and about changing their personal habits. But the “sexy” sure doesn’t hurt. The University of Washington’s Young Democrats club launched a Sustainability is Sexy campaign this month to encourage students to bring their own cups to the campus’s […]

    Kate Sheppard Culture

  • Balls to the Wall

    Global warming hits sports world, sports world hits back Forget the safety of coastal dwellers — let’s focus on the truly important question. What is global warming going to do to sports? As Sports Illustrated reports in a cover story on climate change, fans are already being forced to adapt. The too-sweaty Miami Dolphins have […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra on landfills vs. incinerators

    Hi Umbra, Is there an environmentally preferable choice between sending your trash to a landfill or an incinerator? I know to think of the three R’s first, but what’s the better way to dispose of the remainder? Incinerators convert waste into energy but generate air pollution. Landfills (ideally) recover and utilize methane but much of […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • A chat with Inconvenient Truth co-producer and Hollywood bigwig Lawrence Bender

    Meet Lawrence Bender, the Hollywood producer who lent his big-screen savoir faire to the success of the Oscar-winning sensation An Inconvenient Truth. Lawrence Bender. It’s not Bender’s first brush with Oscar fame. He produced Academy Award best-picture nominees Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction, as well as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and other Quentin Tarantino […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra on disposing of toxic chemicals

    Dear Umbra, Now that I’ve caught the environmental bug, I don’t know what to do with the toxic cleaning products (e.g., Ajax) that I have on hand. As a bulk buyer, I’ve got 5 to 6 bottles in my garage. Is it better to use them up, throw them away, or just have them stay […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Lisa Day of socially conscious film company Participant Productions answers questions

    Lisa Day. What work do you do? I am the vice president of social action and advocacy at Participant Productions. What does your company do? Participant is a film company with a twist — we only make “issue” movies, and for each movie we create social-action campaigns. Our films have included An Inconvenient Truth and […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Star is driving a converted electric car

    AC Propulsion announced delivery of their first eBox to Tom Hanks. Its a Scion xB with the engine replaced by a 35 kW lithium ion battery -- delivering an impressive 150 mile range. And for $55k, they'll upgrade your Scion, too.

    And I had no idea Tom Hanks was such a regular guy. From the press release:

    Just before he drove off, silently, in his new eBox, Hanks observed, "There are three electric cars sitting on the moon, and now another one in my garage. The eBox makes even more sense in Los Angeles than in the Taurus-Littrow Valley of the moon. I can drive all weekend, hauling dogs and helping my friends move, and the only reason I'll need to stop at a gas station is for beef jerky and lottery tickets."

    Tom Hanks: Trekkie and a fiend for beef jerky. And apparently the go-to guy in Hollywood when starlets can't find anyone to help them move apartments over the weekend.

    Adam Browning Culture