Climate Culture
All Stories
-
From Slings to Scouts
Green pickle sling Putting a whole new spin on the wet T-shirt contest, Low Tee makes tight-fitting men’s swimsuits out of recycled vintage tees. Buy an existing banana hammock or send in an old favorite shirt to be converted — not too old, mind you; see-through isn’t a pleasant Speedo look. Photo: Rex Bonomelli.Click to […]
-
Umbra on amusing questions
Dear Umbra, When I was a kid we were allowed to lick our plates at the dinner table, except when guests were present. We were told that starving children in other countries would never leave a scrap on their plates, and my mother also took it as a compliment to her cooking. I still lick […]
-
Ape of Good Hope
King Kong director campaigns to save wild gorillas The original 1933 King Kong gave gorillas a bad rep and inspired an upsurge in gorilla hunting, but the director of the 2005 remake hopes to use his blockbuster’s appeal to help keep the apes from going extinct. Peter Jackson is backing efforts by the International Gorilla […]
-
Kipchoge Spencer of Xtracycle and Worldbike answers questions
Kipchoge Spencer. What work do you do? I’m president of Xtracycle Inc. and cofounder of Worldbike. I’m also lead singer of the Ginger Ninjas. What does your organization do? Xtracycle invented and makes car-trip-replacing, life-enhancing, sport-utility bicycles, long bikes, and the FreeRadical Hitchless Trailer — for toting your kids to school, loading up with groceries, […]
-
Umbra on recycling condoms
For the sake of argument, how does one recycle condoms? Unused they are plastic of some sort? I know it’s a bit silly, but don’t you just hate to have to flush them and all the water that goes with? Flavia S.Milan, Italy Dearest Flavia, In brief: condoms are generally made of latex and are […]
-
New Year’s Resolutions 2006
Stop drooling over concept cars we’ll never own That is, as soon as we’re done gawking at this stackable, shareable, electric two-seater dreamt up by MIT’s Smart Cities team. It’s inspired by corralled shopping-carts, powered by four “wheel robots” with 360-degree movement, and fully customizable. Drool. Photo: Franco Vairani. Be as eco-conscious as Britney Spears […]
-
![]()
![]()
A preview of this year’s green-tinted movies
Last year was a banner one for nature movies, kicking off with The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill and ending up with the wild cowboys of Brokeback Mountain (c’mon, Jake wasn’t the only gorgeous scenery). In the middle, there were record-grossing Penguins, a trip to Syriana, and the horrors of The Island. So what does […]
-
You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Home Builder
Demand up for eco-friendly home-building supplies Consumers have turned on to the benefits of eco-timber, sustainably harvested cork flooring, and low-VOC paint, moving green home-building supplies out of the fringe and into the mainstream. “There’s no question where this is going; it’s hot,” says Timothy Taylor. His company, Environmental Home Center, started up in an […]
-
Umbra on replacing appliances
Dear Umbra, I’ve done the research, and I’m ready to buy my first front-loading washing machine. And then a pesky friend starts asking the tough questions. “Does your existing machine work?” Yes. “Are you going to sell it to someone else who will keep using it?” Yes. “So, two machines where there used to be […]
-
The Twelve Days of Gristmahanukwanzakah
On the first day … … the Grist staff gave to me: the notion that Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah are eco-holidays. Kwanzaa (“first fruits” in Swahili) has its roots in African harvest festivals. Christmas involves serious tree-hugging (thank the pagans for that). And Hanukkah celebrates squeezing every last drop from a tiny bit of oil. […]
