Articles by Ask Umbra®
The New York Times calls Umbra Fisk "a trailblazer in the field of eco-advice columnists" and "the arch online sage of the new green age." Her latest passion: kale smoothies ... no, sorry, civic engagement, because getting political is the only way we'll get a planet that doesn't burn and a future that doesn't suck. Ask Umbra a question here.
All Articles
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Umbra on eco-friendly birth control
Dear Umbra, I am wondering about the most environmentally safe form of birth control. From what I understand, women’s birth control pills put terrible amounts of hormones into the world’s waters and cause genetic mutations in fish. On the other hand, constantly using and discarding plastic condoms, including the packaging these come in, does not […]
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Umbra on Roundup
Dear Umbra, I have a large, organic (hopefully) vegetable garden. However, I occasionally use Roundup around the edges to keep invasive grasses from creeping in. Now, I have been given to understand that Roundup is relatively safe and breaks down almost immediately. What are your thoughts on this subject? I totally trust your judgment. BetsyMichigan […]
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Umbra on wedding presents
Dear Umbra, My wife and I have made great progress in simplifying our lives. We don’t own a car (we take the bus, walk, bike, and occasionally rent a car), we have cut back on our use of water and power, and we are working on avoiding “more stuff.” We’re just wondering what we might […]
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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 […]
