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advice

  • 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 […]

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  • Umbra on hot air balloons

    Dear Umbra, There’s a Hot Air Balloon Festival going on in the Hudson Valley right now and I’m watching balloons out my window wishing I had the nerve to go up in one, while also wondering how bad they are for the environment. This isn’t just mild curiosity; you could literally make or break my […]

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  • Umbra on reusing trophies

    Dear Umbra, You are my only hope! I need help with trophies. Not trophy boyfriends or bass fishing trophies, but a large collection of wood and metal trophies that I have accrued due to a high school career rife with geeky accomplishment. My mom, who has graciously housed these trophies up ’til now, has finally […]

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  • Umbra on chewing gum

    Dear Umbra, I shudder at the triviality of the question, but so far nobody I’ve asked has been able to provide a satisfying answer. So here it is: Is chewing gum biodegradable? Can I spit it on the compost instead of sticking it under the chair? Would green stalks sprout from the gum-spot-riddled sidewalks if […]

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  • Umbra on cell phones

    Dear Umbra, After many years of idealistic holdout, I have finally decided to own a cell phone; changes in my lifestyle have made the benefits too heavy to be outweighed by the detrimental effects. However, I would like to minimize the impact of my decision (brain tumors notwithstanding), so I am searching for the most […]

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  • Reader responses on family cars, the internal combustion engine, and more

    Dearest Readers, How I enjoy your letters! I’m sorry I’m unable to answer them all; lest you fear that they vanish into the void, I assure you they do not. I read each and every one of them down here in Stacklandia. I must in particular thank those of you who write in to correct, […]

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  • Advice on driving vs. flying

    Hi Umbra, I’m wondering if you have any numbers comparing the fuel efficiency of flying versus driving the average car for the same distance. Also, how does carbon dioxide production compare for the same trip? SteveLoomis, Calif. Dearest Steve, Flight blight? Here’s what I can find so far, courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute in […]

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  • Umbra on scooters

    Dear Umbra, I was thinking of buying a scooter with the idea that (in addition to being fun) I would be using a more fuel-efficient means of transportation on days when the weather was good. Then I got the edition of the Daily Grist telling me how dirty motorcycles are. Now I’m worried: Are scooters […]

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