Climate Culture
All Stories
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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 […]
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Umbra on wedding rings
Dear Umbra, Help! I am getting married soon and I need to know what I should do about rings. I know that mining for metals and gems is very destructive, and I am also concerned about supporting civil war in Africa through a diamond purchase. Is my only environmentally friendly option to forgo the engagement […]
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How to have a Valentine’s Day with a conscience
Friday is Valentine’s Day, but while you’re buying bonbons and bouquets, be sure to be sweet to the planet, too. If Hershey’s, Hallmark, and FTD aren’t your idea of romance, never fear: Eco-friendly options smell good, taste good (well, maybe not the flowers), and just might land you a date. Flowers In 2001, Americans spent […]
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Umbra on cruises
Dear Umbra, My husband, though a very warmhearted man, does not follow the environmental tides quite as much as I do. He would desperately like to take a cruise for our second honeymoon. I know cruise ships dump waste in the oceans and are not good for the ecosystem in general, but could you tell […]
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Umbra on Styrofoam
Dear Umbra, I continue to avoid buying Styrofoam, but I don’t really know why. In middle school, I remember being told not to chew on Styrofoam cups because the action of breaking the Styrofoam would deplete the ozone and ingesting it would make me ill. This information, given to me by the lunchroom woman, is […]
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Solar, Without Flair
President Bush’s proposed budget for the government’s 2004 fiscal year doesn’t contain much good news for renewable energy advocates: Total research funding for the Energy Department’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would increase just 0.1 percent. Last summer, though, the feds apparently had enough money to purchase a solar-energy system to heat the presidential […]
