Climate Culture
All Stories
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Umbra on bathing
Dear Umbra, On a link that I got from Grist’s Do Good section, it says that taking baths instead of showers conserves water. What’s the logic behind this? I measured how much water I use when I shower, and it’s about a quarter of the amount that I use for baths. So it doesn’t make […]
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus and husband Brad Hall discuss their eco-friendly hideaway
Long before they joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” before she played Elaine on “Seinfeld” and he became a writer/producer for shows ranging from “The Single Guy” to “Frasier,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus and husband Brad Hall were devout environmentalists. Now they are key players in Hollywood’s green vanguard. Over the past decade she has been […]
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How to avoid the enviro nasties that lurk in pools
Let water sit around for 24 hours — stagnating in an old tire, say, or in a birdbath in the backyard — and some pretty nasty things can start breeding in it. After Mt. St. Helen’s erupted in Washington State in 1980, newly formed oxygen-deprived pools became breeding grounds for Legionnaires’ disease. Then there’s cholera, […]
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How the five-gallon plastic bucket came to the aid of grassroots environmentalists
The plastic five-gallon bucket is the most humdrum of containers, yet it’s proved to be almost as versatile as duct tape. Creative sorts have turned buckets into toolboxes and ottomans, planters and panniers. And in recent years, some environmental activists have begun using the humble bucket for an even higher purpose: These days, five-gallon buckets […]
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Umbra on reusing trophies
Dear Umbra, You are my only hope! I need help with trophies. Not trophy boyfriends or bass fishing trophies, but a large collection of wood and metal trophies that I have accrued due to a high school career rife with geeky accomplishment. My mom, who has graciously housed these trophies up ’til now, has finally […]
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Umbra on chewing gum
Dear Umbra, I shudder at the triviality of the question, but so far nobody I’ve asked has been able to provide a satisfying answer. So here it is: Is chewing gum biodegradable? Can I spit it on the compost instead of sticking it under the chair? Would green stalks sprout from the gum-spot-riddled sidewalks if […]
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Umbra on cell phones
Dear Umbra, After many years of idealistic holdout, I have finally decided to own a cell phone; changes in my lifestyle have made the benefits too heavy to be outweighed by the detrimental effects. However, I would like to minimize the impact of my decision (brain tumors notwithstanding), so I am searching for the most […]
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The green take on insect repellents and sunscreens
As summer finally rolls in, most of us are eager to shed our layers and splash in the surf or hike through the woods. Along the way, we might slap on some SPF 30 sunscreen to ward off skin cancer and hose down our arms and necks with skeeter repellent. But rather than go wild […]
