Climate Culture

From Winning to Wintering

Summer all year long! Win a bike, win a hike! Win some knickers, a pair of kickers! Win a pod, clothe your bod! Win a bag, win some swag! Summer says: Give to Grist and all your wildest dreams will come true. When a manatee loves a woman If manatees were really this horny, would […]

Monsieur Heat Miser

Europe’s holiday spirit, shopping disrupted by global warming In the worst consequence of global warming yet, European retailers are fretting that consumers may be too warm to do their holiday shopping. “Christmas business lacks impetus as there is no Christmas spirit in warmer weather,” laments Hubertus Pellengahr, a German retail association spokesperson. “Retail sales are […]

Umbra on holiday gifts for young folk

Dear Umbra, I’ve read Grist’s gift guide, but I didn’t see very many ideas for youths and young children. On the other hand, I did like the idea of giving The Lorax, which was mentioned in one of your other responses. Do you have any other eco-friendly gift suggestions for my nieces and nephews for […]

Watch out for scary chemicals in plastic toys for tots

Umbra offered up a number of clever gift ideas for kids in her latest column, focusing particularly on experiences rather than things. But if you still want to do some thing-giving for those wee ones, you might first want to check out "What's Toxic In Toyland," an article by Margot Roosevelt in Time.

Umbra on eco-tips in event programs

Dear Umbra, My bat mitzvah is coming up, and at my synagogue, we give out programs. This year, in my program, I would like to include some tips to lead a more eco-friendly life (when to turn off lights, etc.). Will you please help me with these ideas? Talia Minnetonka, Minn. Dearest Talia, Mazel tov! […]

Movie, music bring awareness to conflict gems

A diamond is forever. A diamond is a girl's best friend. Lucy in the sky with diamonds. Neil Diamond.

Call it bling, call it ice, call it the most beautifulest piece of sparkly you've ever seen and yes-yes-yes-I'll-marry-you. Diamonds are more than just super-polished rocks. They symbolize true love and economic status. They adorn everything from ring fingers to pierced ears, gangsta grillz to bra straps.

But a recent string of films, music, and media coverage is beginning to shed light on the, shall we say, less-than-sparkling reputation of the industry that produces these gems. The New York Times has even called it "Hollywood's multifaceted cause du jour."

From Prince to Prints

Purple reign How could he just leave u standing, alone in a world that’s so cold warm? The Charles currently known as prince is recruiting climate-change bigwigs, labeling his Duchy, and cooking up other eco-plans. He’s also giving up his little red Corvette. Photo: Anwar Hussein Collection / ROTA / WireImage.com The big O Grist […]

Bra-vo

Victoria’s Secret pledges to end use of endangered-forest paper in catalogs The parent company of sexed-up retailer Victoria’s Secret announced yesterday that it will nip a bad trend in the bud: sourcing its catalog paper from endangered forests. Succumbing to two years of pestering from ForestEthics and other green groups, U.S.-based Limited Brands agreed to […]

The eco-Martha greens parties and gift-giving

Eco-guru Danny Seo, otherwise known as the Asian male green incarnation of Martha Stewart, has jumped headfirst this year into the world of publishing. His book Simply Green: Parties launched this summer, and now he's released the second in the series, this one focused on gift-giving.

While I can't support all the ideas in the book (Dryer sheets as wrapping paper? Really?), and a few of the crafts are a bit involved (washable soap gift tags, a chandelier made from tree branches and holiday cards), some of the suggestions are ingenious. Ever thought of using old VHS video tape as ribbon? Yeah, me neither, but it actually looks pretty cool. Ditto for the fruit bowls made from those old cardboard globes (cut in half of course).

Both books (Parties and Giving) are available now via Grist's new Amazon store. And we get a small cut for everything purchased there ... so get to shoppin'!

From Dancing to Dumping

Crappy feet Violence! Homosexuality! Anti-Christianity! Environmentalism! Beware the dangerous propaganda lurking in the “darkest, most disturbing feature-length animated film ever offered by a major studio.” (That, friends, is what we like to call a tap smear.) Photo: © Warner Bros. Pictures Bear ass Endangered giant pandas of the female persuasion are ready to mate for […]