toxics

Umbra on washing produce

Dear Umbra, Does one really need to wash produce off the shelf or out of the bag? I’ve been eating vegetables as they are for years. Does it really do any good to wash them? If they are contaminated internally, then washing the outside won’t help, will it? JaneSteubenville, Ohio Dearest Jane, Please wash your […]

Climate talks are on the rocks, but not dead yet

The hippest catwalk in Milan this week. Photo: IISD. Milan is famous for opera and fashion, so perhaps it’s appropriate that the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol conference, being held in the Italian city this week and next, has so far been characterized by high drama and public spectacle. Some 180 negotiators from around the world […]

Umbra on eco-friendly fish consumption

Dear Umbra, I recently turned 40 and have decided I need to pay more attention to what I eat on a daily basis. My diet has never been horrible, and I’ve always believed in all things in moderation, but a persistently elevated cholesterol level and my mortality now a smudge on the horizon have helped […]

Hollow Weenies

EPA Won’t Restrict Use of Potentially Harmful Weed Killer Talk about scary stuff: On Oct. 31, as people across the U.S. were getting ready to don costumes and pass out Halloween candy, the Bush administration announced that it would not impose new restrictions on the commonly used herbicide atrazine, which has been associated with low […]

Umbra on recycling batteries

Dear Umbra, I have to humbly admit that for years I’ve known that one can recycle batteries, but unfortunately, I’ve never known where or how to do this. I’ve been living in Seattle and northern Italy for the last year, and I have a pile of old batteries in each place. If you have any […]

Pesticide use on airplanes could harm your health

Vacations are supposed to leave you feeling relaxed, happy, and healthy — but if you travel by air, you might feel worse by the time you get home than you did when you left. Fear of flying? For good reason. Flying should not generally be the transportation option of choice for the environmentally minded, given […]

Bush pushes his Clear Skies plan — and his electoral prospects — at a notoriously dirty power plan

Bush talks to the masses in Michigan. Photo: White House. When President Bush set out on Monday to defend his recent New Source Review rollback and promote his energy bill and Clear Skies program, it was hard not to notice the peculiar setting he chose. Wearing a hardhat and safety glasses, the commander in chief […]

Eco-friendly supplies and clothes for back to school and beyond

The beginning of the school year — already a stressful time for kids and parents — is often made even more difficult by all the purchasing pressure, from long lists of school supplies sent home by teachers to ads promoting fashionable new wardrobes for children. In 2003, Americans will spend $14.1 billion on back-to-school items, […]

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 […]