grist-georgia-psc-header-ai

advice

  •

    Pare down the pesticides

    Tip #7: Be a picky eater. Pare down the pesticides in your diet (without cutting too far into your food budget) by focusing your organic purchases on the “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies that tend to be chem-laden to the core. Buying local and organic as often as possible is a good way to help […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra advises on elevators

    Q. Dear Umbra, Every time I bring a load of groceries back to the condo, I contemplate the energy and number of trips required to get everything upstairs three stories. If I think I can do it in two trips, I do, but on occasion I succumb and catch a ride. How much energy does […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Eating your veggies doesn’t have to be scary

    Tip #5: Eat your vegetables. Save some moolah (and Ma Earth) by switching out meat for veggies at least one day a week. Don’t let them sense your fear.Jeremy E.W. Fredericksen via Creative CommonsIt’s tried and true advice, from the USDA to First Lady Michelle Obama to your mom: Eat more veggies. Considering 78 percent […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Simplify your cleaning routine

    Tip #4: Simplify your cleaning routine by tossing out toxic stuff and sticking to the (very cheap) basics. Do you really need a different spray or scrub for every surface in your home? Marketing mavens want you to think so. But the dirty truth is that many mainstream cleaners are major contributors to indoor air […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra advises on gardens and kids

    Q. Dear Umbra, I am constructing a garden bed for a local preschool and am considering the various materials I could use. The beds need to be raised and protected by a rigid border. This has aroused two main concerns: the safety of the children and the durability of the materials. I feel the best […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Bag the paper or plastic debate

    Tip #3: Bag the “paper or plastic” debate at the checkout line by toting a reusable bag (or seven) of your own. We Are What We Do.Grist advice guru Umbra Fisk is lucky to go a week without being asked about the “paper or plastic” conundrum faced by anyone who has strolled a grocery-store aisle. […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Say “I do” to a green wedding on a budget

    Photo: SimonShaw via Flickr. In two months, I will walk across a lawn in taffeta and heels to stand beside my baby sister as she says “I do.” Which means I have spent the last several months planning parties, calming crises, and trying not to gawk at the huge price tag looming over this blessed […]

    Sarah van Schagen Culture

  • Umbra advises on population

    Q. Dear Umbra, You once replied to a request for some simple things all environmentally concerned individuals should do by pointing them toward some “Top Ten lists” for eco-minded people. Without a doubt, hands down, the number 1 action that should be followed for anyone concerned with the environment is to limit your procreation to […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • The lowdown on agave nectar and other ‘natural’ sweeteners

    Agave: not just for tequila anymoreDear Checkout Line,What’s the skinny on sweeteners? I use agave nectar, but I’m wondering if the same thing that makes tequila can be good for me and my six-year old!  Is sucanat just another word for “sugar”? And what about Stevia? Liquid or powder, fair trade, organic — it’s all […]

    Lou Bendrick Culture