Vegetarianism And Veganism

Flash in the Pan

Ask Umbra on canned and frozen foods 23
Posted 1 week, 5 days ago With winter making the selection of fresh produce dwindle, a reader wonders which is the better eco-option: frozen foods, or canned? Umbra digs into the question.
Just Beak Ahhs

Ask Umbra on sex ... chicken sex, that is 14
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago
If you eat eggs, are you a chicken babykiller? How does that whole thing work, anyway? Umbra cracks the case.
How to win friends and influence people. No seriously, how?

More on No Impact Man and personal eco-behavior 11
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago
The other day I highlighted a new piece from Elizabeth Kolbert in the New Yorker, which was critical of No-Impact Man and other "stunts" in hyper-green living. Mainly I used it as an excuse to point to my old piece on the civic sphere, which, ahem, you should read.

I should have made it clear in the post that I have not read the No-Impact Man book (or the other books mentioned in Kolbert's piece), so I'm not really qualified to comment on whether her criticisms are fair.

Not surprisingly, Colin Beavan -- No-Impact Man himself -- doesn't think so! Kolbert's main charge is that personal lifestyle changes like his, no matter how committed or extreme, tend to obscure the fact that the big changes needed are collective -- social and political. One person changing doesn't amount to much.

Beavan wrote me to protest that a) he agrees with Kolbert's point entirely, b) his book actually contains a whole section toward the end about volunteering for NGOs and going to lobby Congress, and c) he has consistently used his platform to push for social action. One of Beavan's supporters also mounts a convincing defense in this post. It does seem that, whatever you could say about the other books in Kolbert's review, she did seem to squeeze Beavan into a box to make a point, a box in which he doesn't really belong.
Oh, those pesky existential questions!

Puppies and bunnies and carnivorous eco-curmudgeons 7
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Should the JP Green House raise and slaughter bunnies in their back yard? That's just one of the questions they're struggling with. Weigh in!
Liquid Lunch

Ask Umbra on livestock and water 5
Posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago
How much water is involved in meat production, and which other products are dripping with waste? Umbra pours on the facts.
The Grist List: From Diving to Dancing

Hipsters give dumpster diving new meaning, and more 1
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Dumpster diving, as defined by a hipster: exclusive urban swimming hole.
The Grist List: From Timberlake to Taco Bell

Justin Timberlake brings sexy back to green, and more 3
Posted 4 months ago
J Tee is bringing sexy back to green. The putting green, that is.
Ask Umbra’s video advice on grilling 2
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
Heavy on the Ice, Light on the Cream

A review of six non-dairy ice creams 30
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
Can soy, rice, and coconut concoctions live up to dairy-based frozen desserts? A Grist-commissioned tasting panel finds out.
Bone of Contention

Ask Umbra on meating your needs 9
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Should a vegetarian faced with reduced-price (and about-to-be-thrown-out) meat give in to the way of flesh, just to prevent needless slaughter? Umbra chews over the question.
Shut Your Mouth!

13 badass greens 17
Posted 5 months ago
Think all greens are wimps and weenies? Think again.
Also, Can We Come Over?

Have a happy (and green) Memorial Day weekend 2
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Whether you're grilling, gardening, or sinking your teeth into a big, juicy watermelon, we've got some choice advice.
The grist list

From Doug to Diaz 1
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Brad's bro gets into the green game, and Cameron comes clean about her habits.
Attention ladies and Ghents

Belgian city goes veg one day a week 0
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Ghent will go meat-free on Thursdays to reduce the city's carbon footprint. Bring on the waffles!
Fix the food chain 0
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago
RUSSELL CROWS

Russell Simmons on harnessing the power of hip-hop to change the world 5
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
The mogul and entrepreneur has come around to the climate cause, thanks in part to veganism. Can he get more artists on board?
Mama always said

Eating your veggies doesn’t have to be scary 4
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Save some moolah (and Ma Earth) by snarfing beans instead of burgers once a week.
Meatless Monday—Inspiring a Movement 1
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Means to an end

Umbra on mean drivers and other questions 0
Posted 7 months, 1 week ago
Continuing her spring cleaning, our advice columnist unearths questions on mean drivers, meat, and tennis balls.
14 Green Couples

Read about six couples who turned their eco-love into an eco-venture ... 15
Posted 9 months ago