Climate Culture

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  • Terror Error

    Top British Scientist Calls Global Warming Bigger Threat Than Terrorism Which menacing global problem should be keeping you up at night: terrorism or climate change? Britain’s top government scientist is creating a bit of a stir by arguing that it’s the latter, and lambasting President Bush for having his priorities all out of whack. In […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra on water heaters

    Dear Umbra, I have a question that’s been nagging at me for some time. Since I have a water heater inside my house, any waste heat from the water heater contributes to heating the house. Does it still make sense in terms of energy savings to put an insulating blanket on the water heater? KurtLittleton, […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • 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 […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • 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 […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Santa, Baby, Hurry and Recycle Tonight

    Suzy Becker Culture

  • 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. […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • 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), […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • 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, […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • 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.

    Michelle Nijhuis Culture

  • 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 […]

    Grist staff Culture