advice
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Ask Umbra wipes up the confusion on TP, pee rags, and bidets
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, We’ve been using “pee rags” for a while now, but are trying to find a way to do away with toilet paper all together. The obvious option is washing, but is the impact of water use for washing close to or equal to the small amount of […]
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Ask Umbra on rinsing recyclables, flipping off fluorescents, and poisoning yourself
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, How important is it to rinse out containers before they go into recycling bins? Does a failure to rinse a jar contaminate the whole bin? What about peanut butter? Cleaning products with chemical residue? Thanks! kristallyCharlotte, N.C. A. Dearest kristally, Photo: SarahIvy via FlickrAy dios mio. I’m […]
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Ask Umbra’s pearls of wisdom on Memorial Day
Dearest readers, Ah, Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff of summer—even though we’re still rocking scarves and raincoats here at Grist HQ. To prep you for this glorious three-day weekend, I’ve sifted through the archives and found these handy holiday-appropriate tidbits, from flying the flag to drinking beer (both arguably patriotic acts). What’s going on […]
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Win some free ‘Dirt!’
Dearest readers, I’m giving away DVDs of Dirt! The Movie signed by the directors to eight lucky readers. Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, the film is a glorious ode to the “living skin of the Earth” we so often taken for granted—an homage to dirt, if you will. All you have to do is let […]
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Ask Umbra on eco-fiction and hair donations for the oil spill
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I hate to bother you, but I tried doing a Grist search to answer my question and nothing really turned up. I was hoping you could recommend some environmentally aware fiction writers or books. I love Barbara Kingsolver, but have read everything of hers twice already. :) […]
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Ask Umbra’s pearls of wisdom on driving
Dearest readers, Photo: GmanViz via FlickrIn light of the recent oil spill flooding not only the Gulf but also all of our minds here at Grist HQ, I think it’s an apt time to reflect on the larger issue, which is decreasing our dependence on oil. Now obviously one way to do that on an […]
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Are we too clean?
Photo: pfly via FlickrDearests, with yesterday’s Clorox wipes letter on my mind, I was intrigued to read the following headline in today’s Wall Street Journal: Can Dirt Do a Little Good? The story talks about the new film Babies, a Focus feature following the first year of life for four babies living in Namibia, Mongolia, […]
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Ask Umbra on pasta, Clorox wipes, and a satisfied customer
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I am a fairly active, athletic person; that being said, I love my pasta. When I boil the water for my pasta, I run the tap water for about 5–10 seconds until the water becomes very hot, then fill up my pot, and set it on my […]
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Ask Umbra on the word “green,” DIY laundry detergent, and computer batteries
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, Whenever I read the word “green” in quotation marks, I get the same sensation as when I hear nails on a chalkboard. Can you help me understand how this practice came about and what differentiates something as being “green” vs. just plain old green (sans quotation marks)? […]
