Climate Culture

Umbra on lawn mowers

Dear Umbra, OK, I hate lawns. But for a number of reasons, I have to move into a town where lawns are the law, and mowing a necessity. Can you give me the scoop on the most eco-friendly lawnmower that will still cut decently? (No, I can’t have goats.) My old reel lawnmower never did […]

Seth Heine of CollectiveGood answers questionsSeth Heine of CollectiveGood answers Grist’s

Seth Heine. With what environmental organizations are you affiliated? I’m the president of CollectiveGood and RIPMobile.com — mobile phone recyclers. What do your organizations do? What, in a perfect world, would constitute “mission accomplished”? CollectiveGood recycles mobile devices (phones, pagers, PDAs) and all of their related accessories, usually in partnerships with charities, companies, and/or governments. […]

Umbra on washing machines

Dear Umbra, I have a top-loading washing machine that’s nine years old. I’ve heard that front-loading machines are a lot more efficient and use less detergent, so I’m thinking about taking the plunge, even though my old machine works fine. How much less water do the front-loading machines use, and why? And is it true […]

Conflating environmentalists and terrorists is all the rage

What liberals and their allies in the environmentalist wacko movement fail to understand is: their message has gotten out. Their anti-capitalist, socialist, gloom-and-doom, fear-based, lunatic ravings have been amplified — and Americans understand exactly who they are, and what they’re about. As the “Mr. Big” of the vast right-wing conspiracy, I am proud, ladies and […]

Getting to the bottom of climate-change lingo

Remember when you first heard about that big hole in the ozone? Remember how they called it “the ozone hole”? Man, life was good then. Raise your hand if you’re sure … what you’re talking about. Now everyone’s talking about global warming. Or, actually, climate change. Or … uh … anthropogenic forcing? What we’ve got, […]

Umbra on shaving, part two

Dear Umbra, I just read your response about men’s shaving, but what about women? I don’t see many women shaving with straight razors, plus we have the depilatory cream and waxing options too. What’s our best option, especially for those of us who just hate dealing with it, but must? CatherineAppleton, Wis. Dearest Catherine, Although […]

Green Living and Paper or Plastic give shoppers cause — and pause

Food for thought. I found out not too long ago that I am a LOHAS. Or, I should say, I found out that a gaggle of people I’ve never met think I am a LOHAS. These initials, as you may well know, stand for “lifestyles of health and sustainability.” We LOHAS shoppers are, according to […]

Umbra on eco-conscious fashion

Dear Umbra, I need some new clothes! But besides shopping consignment and used clothing shops and hunting through labels looking for “Made in USA” tags, are there online sources of organic- or sustainable-fabric clothes that are guaranteed sweatshop-free? I would not mind investing in some decent duds that look nice and last. Lorna VogtSalt Lake […]

Make That “Vast, Energy-Sucking Wasteland”

Electricity-hungry widescreen TVs spike home energy use Jonesing for one of those technolicious, 61-inch, flat-screen, hi-def, make-your-morning-coffee televisions? It’s gonna cost you — right in the utility bill. The Natural Resources Defense Council predicts that if current design standards hold, TVs and related accoutrements (DVD players, etc.) will account for about 10 percent of home […]

Heck, I’d cycle nude even if it wasn’t for a good cause

Speaking of naked protests: This weekend, hundreds of cyclists across the world rode in what is by far my favorite protest -- the World Naked Bike Ride. Riding against oil dependence, for cyclists' rights, or just to feel the breeze on all their parts while surrounded by a bunch of naked friends and/or strangers, protestors bared all in some 50 cities in 17 countries, including London, Chicago, Seattle, and Madrid. And what could be better? Naked cycling protests combine the energy and exhilaration of three already pretty exhilarating activities: public nudity, protesting in the streets, and cycling.

Seriously, if you've never ridden in one, pencil it in on your calendar for the same time next year -- they're a blast! Not surprisingly, I guess, shedding your clothes -- or at least, most of them -- really does seem to make a difference; people in cars are almost never as nice to cyclists as they are when they're in the middle of a rolling naked party. (There's a lesson in there somewhere.) The WNBR is like a titillating, slightly more focused Critical Mass, with once-a-year energy. So go on, cycle naked for a good cause when you have the chance.

And in case you're wondering, it looks much more painful than it is.