Climate Culture
All Stories
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Postmodern Deconstructionism
Building recycling on the rise The demolition of buildings in the U.S. produces about 124 million tons of debris a year, most of which is carted off to landfills. But that is starting to change: Instead of indiscriminately bashing buildings with wrecking balls, companies are taking a more deliberate approach, dismantling structures and recycling the […]
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I’d Like to Buy the Crops a Coke
Indian farmers use Coca-Cola as a pesticide Urban legend has it that Coca-Cola works well to remove rust spots, clean corroded batteries, polish toilets, and — we can confirm this one — dissolve baby teeth that have fallen out of an innocent 5-year-old’s mouth, thus yielding a lifelong terror of soft drinks. But Indian farmers […]
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Home Is Where the Bloat Is
American homes are growing and consuming more electricity American homes are sucking more and more energy, contributing to a cycle of rising prices that is putting a financial crunch on poor and fixed-income families. In 1970, the average new home was 1,500 square feet; in 2003, it was 2,230 square feet. Even that startling statistic […]
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Umbra on protecting decks
Dear Chip, You may remember me; we met most recently at Jenny’s parents’ house for dinner when you all were here in New Jersey. Anyway, the reason I’m writing you is because I’m looking for some advice. Do you have any recommendations on environmentally conscious ways to protect household decks? Lori and I just bought […]
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Victoria’s Dirty Secret
Enviro group launches campaign against Victoria’s Secret catalogs An enviro group called ForestEthics has trained its sights on the Victoria’s Secret catalog, urging the company to make the shift to more eco-friendly paper and avoid fiber that comes from endangered forests. The real target is Victoria’s parent company, Limited Brands Inc. Limited Brands procures coated […]
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Marc Ross, rocker and activist, answers questions
With what environmental organization are you affiliated? I am president and executive director of Rock the Earth. What does your organization do? What, in a perfect world, would constitute “mission accomplished”? Rock the Earth is a relatively new environmental advocacy nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colo. It was created to work with the music community […]
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Umbra on the mysteries of produce code numbers
Dear Umbra, I recently learned that the UPC numbers on produce indicate whether the item is conventionally grown (beginning with a 4), organically grown (beginning with a 9), or genetically modified (beginning with an 8). I like to buy organic, locally grown produce at my local health food store whenever possible, but recently at a […]
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Sex! Violence! Sitting in a Tree!
Story of tree-sitting activist Julia Butterfly Hill headed to big screen Celebrated activist Julia Butterfly Hill, author of the memoir “The Legacy of Luna,” is heading for the bright lights (and sudden fame, subsequent substance abuse, rehab, appearance on “The Surreal Life,” and rehabilitation by hot indie filmmaker) of Hollywood. Hill, you may recall, protested […]
