Climate Culture
All Stories
-
Catch Him if You Can
Leonardo DiCaprio to produce documentary about global warming Eco-minded actor Leonardo DiCaprio — who tools around L.A. in a Prius and has been outspoken about issues like worldwide access to potable water — is now bringing a tree-hugging message to film. According to spokesdude Ken “Walkin’ on” Sunshine (we made that middle part up), DiCaprio […]
-
![]()
![]()
Ever thought about the toxins in your sex toys?
So you’re an Enlightened Green Consumer. You buy organic food and carry it home from the local market in string bags. Your coffee is shade-grown and fair-trade, your water’s solar-heated, and your car is a hybrid. But what about the playthings you’re using for grown-up fun between those organic cotton sheets — how healthy and […]
-
Umbra on green roofs
Dear Umbra, Our garage is in need of a new roof. We would like to build a “living roof” and are wondering where to start. Our long-term plan is to convert the space into an art studio, complete with insulation, electricity, and finished walls and floor. Do you have any pithy suggestions for us to […]
-
From Yeehaw to Yoots
Heart your engines Tired of pretty-boy actors flashing their newfangled wheels? Here’s something grittier: hybrids may be coming to a Formula One track near you. It makes sense, says one rep, since “Formula One is all about efficiency.” Well, that and the fiery crashes. Photo: iStockphoto. All the smews that’s fit to print Some words […]
-
![]()
![]()
Photographer Laurie Tümer shows the hidden paths of pesticides
Click here to see Tümer’s photos. Photo: Laurie Tümer. In a segment this fall, Good Morning America simulated pesticide exposure in a New York City classroom. Using a powder visible only under black light, the program showed how far chemicals could spread through an activity as simple as child’s play. The eye-opening exercise wasn’t news […]
-
Umbra on composting feminine products
Dear Umbra, OK, the kitty-litter thing pushed me over the edge. I know you are sick of writing about gross, yucky things, but I had to ask: if kitty litter is compostable, what about biodegradable maxipads and tampons? One of the leading natural feminine-care brands touts their stuff as being biodegradable and compostable. Can this […]
-
![]()
![]()
Sustainable-ag legend Joel Salatin can farm — but can he write?
Over the past 20 years, Joel Salatin has emerged as a sort of guru of the sustainable-food movement. His 500-acre Polyface Farm in Swoope, Va., is legendary among a small circle of foodies for its robustly flavored beef, pork, chicken, and eggs. Among farmers, Salatin has won cult status for his innovations in multi-species, pasture-based […]
-
Umbra on low-flow flushing
Dear Umbra, I live in an apartment. What can I do to reduce the amount of water that is flushed in the toilet? The landlord will not fix it. AudreyBrookline, Mass. Dearest Audrey, Ooh, more toilet talk. I quote USA Landlord, which supplies landlords and tenants with water-saving devices: “This really is a landlord no-brainer!” […]
-
A green gift-giving guide for all the folks on your holiday list
Are you the type who puts off holiday shopping until the last minute, makes a guilt-ridden and miserable foray to the mega-mall, and comes home with bags full of junk that nobody wants? Well, this year, turn over a new bough. We’ve got suggestions of eco-gewgaws for everyone on your list. The Trendy Clotheshorse Eco […]
-
![]()
![]()
New Wal-Mart documentary may be a sign of upheavals to come
Last week’s release of Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price — not, for the most part, in movie theaters, but rather in “churches, family businesses, schools, living rooms, community centers, and parking lots,” as the film’s website puts it — marks a high-water moment in leftist media-based organizing. Image: walmartmovie.com. Director/producer Robert Greenwald adopted […]
