Climate Culture

Umbra on wooden pallets

Dear Umbra, I’ve scrounged some old wooden shipping pallets for garden projects — compost piles and raised planting boxes. They appear to be untreated wood, but I’m feeling paranoid. Is there any way to know? Do companies that make pallets routinely spray them with any preservatives? Thanks,Jim Dearest Jim, Great nations consider your humble garden […]

Advice on eco-friendly grilling

Dear Umbra, What sort of grill (charcoal or gas) is the fairest of them all — speaking from an environmentalist’s viewpoint, of course! R. Widiss Dearest R., Gas. I gather that lively debate exists in the barbecue set over which yields better flavor: the briquettes, with their flavorful smoke and irregular heat, or boring old […]

A back-to-school lesson in consumption

Kindergarten is starting next week, and the worn-out old sneakers from last spring are pinching my daughter’s toes. No shoes fit at our favorite used-clothing store, and no neighbors have the right pair of outgrown sneakers to offer this season. There is no avoiding it. One morning, as early as I can manage, I load […]

Target Practice

After endless days of discussions, noisy protests, and a near-walkout by delegates from the European Union, negotiators at the World Summit on Sustainable Development reached agreement yesterday on a plan to address poverty and environmental degradation. The plan is expected to be ratified by the more than 100 world leaders assembled for the summit in […]

News Fit to Print

And speaking of the World Summit on Sustainable Development — in preparation for the commencement of the event, the New York Times devoted today’s Science section to coverage of international environmental issues. From the impact of human behavior on the global ecosystem to the economics of renewable energy; from reassessing international population growth to our […]

Umbra on diesel engines

Dear Umbra, Longtime reader; first-time writer. Love the column. My partner and I recently bought a small station wagon to replace our 4WD pick-up and ’83 sedan. After some debate, we chose a turbo-diesel engine that boasts about 45 miles per gallon instead of a gas engine, which gets about 30 MPG. Our thinking led […]

Umbra on picking the right car

Dear Umbra, In 1981, I bought my first car, a Honda Civic. It was a great car, and despite what certain congressional leaders say about car size and safety, an excellent vehicle for handling winter snow and ice in mountain driving in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The problem is that now, living in Pennsylvania, my husband […]

Umbra on cooling your car

Dear Umbra, Is it more efficient to drive down the highway with my windows down or the air conditioner on? I know the air conditioner decreases gas mileage, but I bet having my windows down at 75 miles per hour produces pretty good drag. Thanks, Sara Dearest Sara, This is July’s Question of the Month […]

Zed, last of his species, in “Par for the Course”

Umbra on weeding

Dear Umbra, We moved into a suburban neighborhood in Ft. Collins, Colo., last year and I began my usual organic gardening practices. I created a beautiful flower garden in our front yard, but I still receive complaints from my neighbors because I refuse to apply herbicides to kill the dandelions and other weeds in the […]