Climate Culture
All Stories
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Umbra on wood floors and solid waste
Oh Wise Umbra, We’ll be replacing our carpeting with wood flooring, probably from one of the major home stores (Home Depot or Lowe’s). Are wood floors a really bad environmental choice if they are made from unsustainably harvested wood? Would I be better off going with a (probably petroleum-based) fake wood floor? Also, is there […]
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Umbra on eco-friendly roofs
Dear Umbra, Our roof is getting pretty old and starting to fall apart. It’s one of those asphalt-shingle roofs that most houses have these days. Before we call the roofing company, I’d like to know what’s the greenest kind of roofing material to use. Metal? Cedar? More asphalt? I’m sure lots of other readers would […]
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Umbra on dealing with lead paint
Wise One, We have a conundrum. Our house is covered with cedar shingles, which some dope painted, presumably with toxic or lead-laden paint. The paint is flaking, and we need to either get rid of it completely or treat the flakes and paint over them. What is the least toxic (to our family and home […]
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Pro-fusion
The U.S. and China have officially joined the quest to develop fusion power, which proponents say could be an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to existing energy sources. The International Thermonuclear Energy Reactor is the largest global science project after the International Space Station. China, the U.S., Canada, the E.U., Japan, and Russia will spend $5 billion […]
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Elizabeth Grossman reviews High and Mighty by Keith Bradsher
You see them poised astride rocky crevasses, fording forest streams, or rising huge and solitary in the shadow of a mountain peak. No, we’re not talking about grizzly bears; we’re talking about sport utility vehicles. Spoiling the view. “Jawbone Chatters. Spine Shivers. Engine Roars. Everest at -11 degrees,” proclaims one ad for the Toyota 4Runner. […]
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Crying Shaman
A new oil pipeline that will run from the Russian region of Buryatiya into China is being hailed by industry officials and government leaders as a major economic boon, but many local residents beg to differ. Construction of the pipeline will involve bulldozing land and felling trees — environmental problems anywhere and cultural travesties in […]
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Maple Syrup
Canada yesterday set aside $1.3 billion over five years to slash its greenhouse gas emissions and another $660 million for other environmental initiatives, as part of what Environment Minister David Anderson called “the greenest budget this country has ever seen.” The government also approved a tax break for cleaner diesel and agreed to prioritize infrastructure […]
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Rose-colorado Glasses
Colorado residents overwhelmingly support the use of renewable resources over fossil fuels, according to a new study by the Wells Fargo Public Opinion Research Program of the University of Colorado at Denver. Three out of every four of the survey’s respondents said the state should meet its energy demands through boosting efficiency rather than increasing […]
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Umbra on homegrown activism
Dear Umbra, I have been changing my way of living in the past year or so to become more environmentally friendly. I have been recycling (my city recycles almost everything) and I started composting. I have been cutting meat out of my life, and I have been surrounding my home with plants and herbs. I […]
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Umbra on mosquitoes
Dear Umbra, Our 50-gallon hot water tank has been converted to a rainwater catchment. Due to the open space around the gutter that feeds rainwater into the tank, it is difficult to seal off the catchment to prevent entry and exit of mosquitoes, and they just love to use the catchment to breed. Can I […]
