Climate Culture

The Police reunion tour to benefit WaterAid

After reuniting onstage Sunday at the Grammy Awards, The Police have announced a world tour that will begin May 28 in Vancouver and continue across North America, Europe, South America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The band has confirmed the first 14 dates, including two performances at Madison Square Garden and a headlining show at […]

Prius consumes more energy in lifetime than Cherokee

I thought this article hit a little too close for comfort. If you really want to call yourself an environmentalist, do what my sister-in-law did: Buy a small Toyota hatchback and put 5,000 miles a year on it for two decades.

Then there was this interesting article in the Economist discussing the future of diesel cars in America:

The dirty little secret about hybrids is that their batteries and extensive use of aluminium parts make them costly to build in energy terms as well as financial terms. One life-cycle assessment claims that, from factory floor to scrap heap, a Prius consumes more energy even than a Hummer III. Diesels are unlikely to consume anything like as much over their lifetime. That could change, of course, if some bright spark decides to replace a hybrid's petrol engine with a diesel--to launch a family car capable of 100mpg. Now there's a thought.

Actually not, Economist staff writer person. That assessment you refer to says that the diesel Jetta wagon will also use as much energy in its lifetime as the H3. And guess what? In all likelihood that diesel hybrid you cite will too, for the same reasons as the Prius and Jetta. But you would have known that had you bothered to actually read that lifecycle assessment. I don't blame you, actually. The damn thing is over 400 pages long. I know because I did read it. In fact, I built a spreadsheet with the data I gleaned from it to answer some burning questions I had.

Umbra on convincing colleagues to turn the lights off

Dear Umbra, I’m always hollering at my friends and colleagues to turn off the lights when they leave the room. Considering my business is green-related, it blows me away that my staff can’t seem to get a handle on flicking the switch. But it’s probably mostly a matter of them not really knowing why it’s […]

It’s coming, and it can’t be stopped

Ah, Valentine’s Day — are we still pretending anybody likes this holiday? Single people feel insecure and excluded; people in relationships feel guilt-ridden and obligated to consume items blingy or fluffy. I say, if you love someone, tell ’em today, and on Feb. 14, obstinately refuse to wear red. Yet, knowing that obsessive marketing and […]

From Bacon to Bouncin’

Bring homies the Bacon We interviewed Stone Gossard, who was in Singles with Campbell Scott, who was in Loverboy with Kevin Bacon. So we’ll give you the third degree: Check out Kev’s new site SixDegrees.org to see which causes the stars are supportin’ these days and chip in some change of your own. Photo: Jeff […]

With eco-friendly earthen floors

I’m all for green building — especially when it involves eco-renovations that take into account more than just some CFL bulbs and a solar panel. But dirt floors? It’s a growing trend, according to a piece in the NYT yesterday. The “earthen floors” are primarily made of mud, but may also include other materials like […]

Is it greener after all?

Tyler Cowen disputes the frequent assertion that Manhattanites have the smallest environmental footprints around. He says: Praising Manhattan is a bit like looking only at the roof of a car and concluding it doesn’t burn much gas. Manhattan supports its density only by being surrounded by a broader load of crud. … If you think […]

Umbra on fireplace inserts

Dear Umbra, Our fireplace is terribly drafty when we’re not using it, and not very functional when we do. Despite the cheery blaze, most of the heat seems to go up the chimney. I tend to burn those “green” coffee logs since setting a real fire isn’t worth the trouble. My question is: should I […]

Umbra on pellet stoves

Dear Umbra, I am a policy analyst with Californians Against Waste, a recycling advocacy group. Just wondering why pellet stoves were not considered in your wood stove analysis. I have one and feel that overall they rate well compared to other heating options. Thanks, Scott Smithline Sacramento, Calif. Dearest Scott, Omitting pellet stoves from my […]

From Condoms to Crow

If only they were 100 percent effective A new ad campaign popping up on U.K. campuses asks: What better way to protect against climate change than with a jimmy hat salami sling love glove condom? Better latex than never! And, uh, where can we get one that size? Image: Friends of the Earth Hoofin’ it […]