Climate Culture
All Stories
-
Umbra on turning down the thermostat
Dear Umbra, My housemates and I are engaged in an ongoing argument about the heat (gas) in our somewhat old house. I argue that for the minimum eight hours that we are out of the house during the day, we should turn our heat down to at least 62 degrees. They argue that we should […]
-
Umbra on home heating
Dear Umbra, Can you shed some light (or some warmth) on the most environmentally sound ways to heat one’s home this winter? Natural gas over coal and oil for its lower carbon (and particulate) content? What about fireplaces: good or bad? Would burning gas logs be a good alternative to burning real wood? Thanks for […]
-
Green Eye for a Great Buy
Demand Rises for Recycled and Organic Home Products The hot gift this holiday season (in our humble, green-leaning opinion): anything recycled or organic. Demand for home products made from recycled or organic materials grew by 66 percent in 2001 and continues to rise, according to research conducted by New Hope Natural Media in Boulder, Colo. […]
-
Umbra on eco-friendly meat
Dear Umbra, While I’m not a vegetarian, I try to choose my foods based on their environmental impact. For me, most non-organic meat doesn’t make the cut: It uses too much water, land, and other resources, and it pollutes our land and water. I know this because I know about CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), […]
-
Umbra on food storage
Dear Umbra, I recently read about the possible effects of plastics on women and the fetuses they may be carrying. I’m ready to change my ways, but I’m not sure how. Do you have some good suggestions about other ways we can package our leftovers or pack foods for lunch at school and work? NataliePortland, […]
-
Michelle Nijhuis reviews Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them
It's easy to look at disease outbreaks as acts of God, or fate, or chance. After all, diseases are often so capricious, so stubbornly beyond our full control, that it can seem as if we humans have little to do with them -- beyond suffering the consequences, that is. But in many cases, argues journalist and veterinarian Mark Jerome Walters, we have far more influence over disease than we think. In Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them, he contends that disease outbreaks are often triggered by the damage we've done to the environment.
-
Extract Marks the Spot
Development, Tradition on Opposite Sides in South American Energy Battles Given its vast reserves of oil and natural gas, the Amazon basin should be heaven for extractive industries. Instead, the people who make their home in the basin are trying to make life hell for energy companies. Over the years, Amazon natives have become both […]
-
Bridge Over Bottled Water
Recycled Plastic Bridge Proves Inexpensive as Well as Eco-Friendly You may have heard of plastic bottles being recycled into fleece jackets, park benches, and, of course, more plastic bottles — but bridges? Yep; that’s one of the latest creative uses for old milk cartons, soda containers, and the like. A 56-foot-long, one-lane bridge over the […]
-
If Only Enron Had Known About This
New Erasable Ink Could Be Boon to Office Recycling Invisible ink was once the province of spies, then of children — and now of environmentalists? Beginning Monday, tech industry giant Toshiba will sell a new, disappearing ink in Japan that is designed to enable easier reuse and recycling. The ink, called “e-blue,” can be used […]
