Comments Katharine Wroth has made

  • Yes, thanks, you beat me to the punch. That's the source that EWG reps cited when I circled back with them. There's a careful distinction here, but mind-boggling nonetheless.On Seventh Generation launches anti-toxics campaign with wee gimmick posted 2 weeks, 6 days ago 7 Responses
  • Hm, a fine point you raise. I'll ask EWG to clarify.On Seventh Generation launches anti-toxics campaign with wee gimmick posted 3 weeks ago 7 Responses
  • Thanks to those who understand my intention here, which was not to suggest that somehow land doesn't matter. My question is, does land make the best rallying cry for getting people involved in the climate fight. I'm not convinced that it does. We agree here, name-calling aside, that there's a huge disconnect between many, many people and the land that sustains humanity -- which means in order to use it as the primary rallying cry on the climate issue, you'd have to first convince the disconnected to feel something about it. We don't seem to have time for that.On Does anyone still care about "the land"? posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago 25 Responses

  • Thanks, all, for your thoughtful advice. The more I think about it, the more committed I am to a non-vinyl path -- and it helps that my fella has now said he feels the same way, despite being even more of a tightwad than me.

    But here's the thing: We do have storm windows. Exterior ones. And we added weatherstripping. And last winter, you could still literally stand by a window and feel the draft. When I open or close a window, chunks of glazing fall off (and I'm gentle, I swear). It just feels hopeless. It doesn't help that we have a 14-month-old wandering around, which makes it tough to find the time to learn how to repair a window.

    I'm not here to whine (OK, maybe a little). Just to sort this whole thing out. Can any of you wise people suggest a next step, given that I have storms and weatherstripping? I feel perhaps caulk is in my future.

    On Should I suck it up and buy vinyl windows? posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 30 Responses

  • Yep, ARTIC is going for LEED platinum.

    On The greenest grocery store, biggest "living wall," and more eco-innovations posted 4 months ago 5 Responses

  • Give or take 3,000

    Thanks GreenMom! I'm probably closer to you than to Grist HQ. I did find that my town has a quite thorough and handy guide to getting rid of stuff, from toys to trucks. So far the answer to small appliances seems to be "donate, if working" or "dispose of, if broken." Not quite the level of detail I was looking for ... but I've still got 8 hours.On In which an argument erupts over electronics disposal posted 1 year ago 7 Responses

  • Ads and product testing

    As the editor of this column, I just wanted to assure HelloKitty (and anyone else who's curious) that Grist's editorial and advertising are separate departments that operate independently of each other. Furthermore, we do not accept product samples for this column. (Which is kind of a bummer, cuz it's kept us from getting our hands on some sweet swag.)On A review of eco-minded feminine products posted 1 year ago 46 Responses

  • It's because we hate bikes

    No, I'm kidding. As you can tell from several recent Umbra columns on the topic, we love bikes. And we do, in fact, have a separate "how to commute by bike" column scheduled for later in the summer. Sorry to freak you out with the apparent oversight here.On How to green your commute posted 1 year, 6 months ago 20 Responses

  • Recycled plastic razors

    Recycline makes one. They make toothbrushes too, for what it's worth.On A dozen men's shaving creams get put to the blade posted 1 year, 6 months ago 13 Responses

  • "Latin"

    For Canis and other curious types: the origin of Itasca is explained as a combination of "verITAS CAput." Perhaps better described as a bastardization than a neologism.

    Glad you enjoyed the images! On Early-spring images from the headwaters of the Mississippi River posted 1 year, 7 months ago 7 Responses

  • Thanks for the catch

    Yep, Julien Dubuque would have been surprised by our revisionist history -- the "late 1800s" was a slip of the keyboard. As for the hilliness ... that's exactly the surprise referred to in the opening paragraph. A different Iowa than you might expect.On An Iowa river town develops a real relationship with the Mississippi posted 1 year, 11 months ago 2 Responses

  • Bingo

    Where do I send that $5?On $5 could be yours posted 2 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses

  • Not the same ...

    Those are three different stories. And hey, that's what the wire is for.

    But I ain't seen anything else yet.On Mostly in the local papers posted 2 years, 7 months ago 15 Responses

  • Here's the national (and international) stuff

    It's in the Guardian, Reuters India, and Newsday, among other places.On Mostly in the local papers posted 2 years, 7 months ago 15 Responses

  • Estimating crowd size

    I stink at estimating, always have. I went to a baby shower recently and guessed 42 jelly beans when there were something like 183 in the jar. I'm that bad.

    So I asked a few onlookers how many people they thought were at the Boston rally, which UCS' Knobloch said doubled in size during the speeches.

    Communist handing out a weekly paper and talking up revolution: "About 1,000-1,500."

    Bicyclist leaning on a tree at the edges of the crowd: "Not enough."

    Guy selling tourist T-shirts nearby: shrug and laugh. (Follow-up question to T-shirt guy: Have you been listening to any of what they're saying over there? "Nah.")

    I considered asking the three kids smoking pot on one of the benches, but I didn't. I'm gonna guess ... 2,300. On Get out there on the street! posted 2 years, 7 months ago 12 Responses

  • Back in Boston ...

    I have Stepped It Up with the best of 'em. The day turned gray and cold. Still, a biggish crowd gathered -- half comprised by families who'd been in a parade and half by other earnest types, about 99 percent white -- to listen to the likes of Union of Concerned Scientists head Kevin Knobloch, Rep. Ed Markey, author and activist Ross Gelbspan, and city councilor Felix Arroyo.

    I hope that the real excitement about Step It Up is the national component, and the creative actions like those Dave mentions above, because I gotta say, Boston's felt like any other eco-rally. Not to be negative -- it's a thrilling and historic day! But I was standing near a group of college student types during a speech early on, and one of them suddenly said, "You guys wanna go toss a frisbee or something?" It was like that.

    Still, most of the crowd is full of energy (the rally's still going out there), and even the fact that there is a crowd -- that Ed Markey just stood in Boston Common and gave a rousing speech about Bush and climate change -- is something to behold. A couple of speakers also announced the news that Boston's mayor has committed to the 80 percent carbon reduction by 2050 -- in Markey's words, "turning Beantown into Greentown."On Get out there on the street! posted 2 years, 7 months ago 12 Responses

  • Step It Up in Boston

    It's Patriot's Day weekend in Boston -- a definitive spring landmark that finds marathoners trying out the city streets in anticipation of Monday's race; Red Sox fans flocking to Fenway from all around; and tourists reading aloud from guidebooks and staring up, up, up at the John Hancock and Prudential towers. Today it's sunny, with a wind just strong enough to remind you that it's April in New England. Boston Common, the sprawling gathering ground smack in the middle of the city, will be the site of this afternoon's centralized Step It Up rally. (There are others going on in towns and cities all over -- when I put my zip code in, the site offered me 72 events within about 30-40 miles.)

    I swung by this morning and chatted with the organizers, who were already busy setting up tables, chairs, tents, and -- of course -- recycling bins. The leader of the early crew, Beverly, told me -- with only a hint of panic -- that she had no idea how many people to expect. And also, with sun instead of the rain that was forecast, she thinks "there's an angel up there for us." I'll be heading back down in a couple of hours to see how the scene unfolds.On Get out there on the street! posted 2 years, 7 months ago 12 Responses

  • Read all about it

    Jason, you gotta start reading The Grist List! On The latest from the makers of The Meatrix posted 2 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses

  • We heart Chris

    He does great work. We featured his post-Katrina photos last year at this time.On Chris Jordan makes staggering statistics visually real posted 2 years, 9 months ago 9 Responses

  • If only I'd had six months to let y'all debate ...

    ... but just out of curiosity, what would you have recommended? On A sad realization posted 2 years, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • Behind the scenes with Ed

    Check out Sarah's great interview with Ed Begley about his show.On Tell us when green bursts from the screen posted 2 years, 9 months ago 7 Responses

  • The five goliaths

    Green strikes again! And yes, I watched too much TV this week.

    The Office. Last night, Michael gave a presentation to a grad-school economics class. While defending Dunder-Mifflin's David vs. Goliath odds, he railed about the "five goliaths" the U.S. faces: "al Qaeda, global warming, sexual predators, mercury poisoning ..."

    Not one but two green nods. And he didn't even make it to five.On Tell us when green bursts from the screen posted 2 years, 9 months ago 7 Responses

  • Mmm ... Mexican Hat

    That would be a slice of fried bologna with a scoop of mashed potatoes on top.

    My sister, who went to a different school, remembers it too. "Why even fry it?" she wrote to me. "Because a 'hot meal' is more nutritious than a slab of baloney on a plate?"

    But then she admitted: "I liked the way it cupped up. Plus, it was always served with these unbelievably heavy mashed potatoes which were also deliciously unlike anything we had at home."

    Delicious and "nutritious."On Maverick chef Ann Cooper aims to spark a nationwide school-lunch revolution posted 2 years, 10 months ago 20 Responses

  • More useful links

    Am I allowed to comment on my own call for comments? Cuz here goes.

    More potentially useful biofuels links that have crossed our desks this week:

    A story from Wired about turning animal fat into biodiesel.

    And a snazzy new service that lets you find biodiesel locations from your cell phone.

    Ah, life in the 21st century!On All the resources you need to hop on the biofuels bandwagon posted 2 years, 11 months ago 5 Responses

  • More useful links

    Am I allowed to comment on my own call for comments? Cuz here goes.

    More potentially useful biofuels links that have crossed our desks this week:

    A story from Wired about turning animal fat into biodiesel.

    And a snazzy new service that lets you find biodiesel locations from your cell phone.

    Ah, life in the 21st century!On A handy biofuels glossary, and videos to boot posted 2 years, 11 months ago 5 Responses

  • More useful links

    Am I allowed to comment on my own call for comments? Cuz here goes.

    More potentially useful biofuels links that have crossed our desks this week:

    A story from Wired about turning animal fat into biodiesel.

    And a snazzy new service that lets you find biodiesel locations from your cell phone.

    Ah, life in the 21st century!On Got biofuel resources or questions? Let us know posted 2 years, 11 months ago 5 Responses

  • and ...

    ... can't even get Richard Lindzen's name right.On Yawn posted 3 years, 5 months ago 2 Responses

  • Oh you Nestea boy

    If you're Jonah Goldberg, you can also apparently use outdated, inaccurate information to make your case.

    He cites a New York Times magazine interview with "windmill opponent" Walter Cronkite. That interview appeared in June 2003. If Goldberg had bothered to do any research, he would have known that Cronkite changed his position two months later.On Sigh posted 4 years, 3 months ago 3 Responses

  • Credit where credit is due?

    Seems to me the Sierra Club -- one of the sponsors of ExxposeExxon and the "shiller" of Ford's new hybrid -- should get DavePoints (TM) for being able to tell the difference.On Pick on the bad guys, not the kinda bad guys who claim to be good. posted 4 years, 4 months ago 9 Responses

  • They're out there

    Lest you doubt the power of creationists and their influence: an IMAX film on volcanoes has been rejected by many theaters in the South because it refers to evolution. Theater operators feared the references would offend audience members.On Journalistic balance at Scientific American posted 4 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses

  • Rationale

    The most disturbing part of that article is the quote from Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico: "Oil is trading above $50 [a barrel] ... and American boots are on the ground in the Middle East. Now is the time [to approve the drilling], and senators know that."

    Aha. So in order to bring our boys home from Iraq, we HAVE to drill in Alaska. It's as simple as that.On Arctic Refuge vote posted 4 years, 8 months ago 12 Responses

  • Uh ...

    Thanks. I knew I was missing something.

    Actually, I meant that comment as a critique (albeit an indirect, subtle one) of how the environmental movement gets its messages out. We tell people huge, scary things, and then wonder why they don't feel inspired and motivated.On PS: We're all going to die posted 4 years, 8 months ago 4 Responses

  • In all (gulp) sincerity

    While I appreciate this thoughtful comment on my somewhat snide post, I'd say this: I don't think animal rights and the environment are mutually exclusive. Even if PETA doesn't use the word "environment," the concept defines their work; likewise, concern for animals makes a perfectly sensible fit for environmental groups.

    But I do think these tactics -- writing snotty letters to anglers in the name of making fish comfortable -- go a long way toward fostering the reputation environmentalists have for being elitist and out of touch. On Hook, line, and stinker? posted 4 years, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • More on The Gates

    I swear I'm not obsessed -- but this keen parody made my morning.On Mad about saffron posted 4 years, 9 months ago 1 Response