Grist | Topics | 22 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 22 of 22
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Engine Block On owning multiple cars	Umbra Fisk	27 Sep 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Your recent column suggested that the questioners sell one of their two cars, but I can't help wondering how much good that does for the environment, especially weighed against the annoyance cost of not having a second car when two people have to be going in opposite directions at the same time. I have a personal interest in this, as we have three cars: mine (a Prius, used for all errands and most weekend driving), his (f ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

Wash and Learn On washing your car	Umbra Fisk	21 Aug 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, What can I do about washing my car in a more eco-friendly way? Is phosphate-free soap enough, or should I just suck it up and go to the drive-through car wash every time? Katie North Carolina Dearest Katie, You are one of those fastidious people I see busily washing their cars on Saturdays. I always wonder why some people are driven to go to such lengths, while others consider washing their cars somewhere below replacing t ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, green living, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics)

Fight or Flight On dropping out of society	Umbra Fisk	16 Aug 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Although I have always been one to conserve, recycle, etc., it is only in the last year that I have realized the extent of the catastrophe coming upon us in terms of climate change. I am 40-something, live in a city, own an older home with a sizeable mortgage that requires my husband and me to work, two kids, two cars, etc. I've done all the usual stuff: changed the light bulbs, we've each started biking to work whe ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Won't You Be My Neighbor? On co-housing	Umbra Fisk	12 Dec 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, How does one begin to gather a group of people to live in a modern city commune? My dream is to own in common an energy-efficient and sustainable house or apartment building inhabited by 10 or so people who are neighbors but also share the duties of the house (cooking, laundry, gardening), much like an extended family. I think this setup would be far superior to the current situation, where my spouse and I live in a la ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

The Wheel Deal On bicycle commuting	Umbra Fisk	28 Sep 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My question regards my daily half-hour (each way) bicycle commute through fairly heavy city traffic. I've been wondering if the benefits (exercise, sunshine, free and fast transport) are outweighed by the negatives (primarily breathing in diesel and other exhaust, but I'd also throw in the risk of almost getting run over, despite the cheap thrills). I am fortunate enough that my alternative would be to take the subway, not ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, bikes, green living, health, placemaking, public transportation (all these topics)

LeSabre Rattling On car disposal	Umbra Fisk	27 Jul 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My wife and I are making plans to purchase our first hybrid vehicle and need to properly dispose of our current car -- a 1989 Buick LeSabre. My question is, what is the best way to get rid of it? It is old and has a lot of miles on it. I suppose the dealer may take it off our hands for a very small trade-in amount -- at which point, they will probably just send it to the scrap yard. What are the odds of it getting properly re ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, green living, placemaking, recycling (all these topics)

Got Time? On effective activism	Umbra Fisk	07 Feb 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, If an environmentalist has about six hours per week to devote to activism, what should the person do to make the biggest, most positive impact? Some people (like myself) think that climate protection is a key leverage point -- but is it? If yes, why, and what is the best way activists can help protect the climate? (And what's a leverage point anyway?) Ann Graton, Calif. Dearest Ann, Such a good question, and so important that ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, climate, grassroots activism, green living, NRDC, placemaking (all these topics)

Defrost Cost On car heaters	Umbra Fisk	28 Oct 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My friend and I have a bet going that I hope you can settle. She thinks that running the heat in a car in the winter is "free" -- that is, it doesn't use additional gas. As a conservationist, this pleases her greatly. However, I think that turning on the heat does use additional gas if you are using the defroster. Can you settle this for us? Thanks! Sama Denver, Colo. Dearest Sama, You win. But I fear this is a wager wi ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, energy efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

The Corrections Reader responses on family cars, the internal combustion engine, and more	Umbra Fisk	11 Jun 2003	Ask Umbra
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, amend, or expand on issues I address in my columns. Almost without exception, those perspic ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Give a Hoot, Don't Scoot On scooters	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
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 the same? I'm talking about a Vespa-type thing. Please tell me that's not as polluting as a Harley! Thanks (even if the answer isn't wha ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Gnarly Davidson On motorcycles	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I recently read a claim that "motorcycles produce far more pollution per mile than your typical car, truck, or SUV." Is that true? I've got a friend who's currently making her (bad-ass) way across country on a Harley -- 60 mpg, baby -- and we are both curious about the environmental impacts compared with a car. Billy Brooklyn, N.Y. Dearest Billy, Bad news for your friend and her bad behind. If she's getting 60 miles ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Vantastic On minivans	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We have a six-year-old daughter, a three-year-old daughter, and -- surprise! (well, not completely) -- a new baby girl due in the next two months. Our fuel-efficient car cannot fit two car seats and a booster across the back seat, and according to Washington state law ("six-years-old and 60 pounds"), my petite six-year-old will remain in her booster for some time. I've been looking into minivans but am discouraged by their poo ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Bamboo Ado On wood floors and solid waste	Umbra Fisk	27 Feb 2003	Ask Umbra
Oh Wise Umbra, We'll be replacing our carpeting with wood flooring, probably from one of the major home stores (Home Depot or Lowe's). Are wood floors a really bad environmental choice if they are made from unsustainably harvested wood? Would I be better off going with a (probably petroleum-based) fake wood floor? Also, is there any environmentally responsible way to dispose of my old carpet? If the nice garbage collectors pick ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living, green products, placemaking, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Burden of Roof On eco-friendly roofs	Umbra Fisk	27 Feb 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Our roof is getting pretty old and starting to fall apart. It's one of those asphalt-shingle roofs that most houses have these days. Before we call the roofing company, I'd like to know what's the greenest kind of roofing material to use. Metal? Cedar? More asphalt? I'm sure lots of other readers would like to know, too! Thanks, Wally Bubelis Seattle, Wash. Dearest Wally, Like other readers, you may need a drink or t ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Housecapades On homegrown activism	Umbra Fisk	12 Feb 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have been changing my way of living in the past year or so to become more environmentally friendly. I have been recycling (my city recycles almost everything) and I started composting. I have been cutting meat out of my life, and I have been surrounding my home with plants and herbs. I buy biodegradable, organic products that haven't been tested on animals. I've also signed online petitions and became a member of Greenpea ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, grassroots activism, green building, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Grease Be With You Advice on converting to biodiesel	Umbra Fisk	10 Oct 2002	Ask Umbra
Umbra, I own a diesel VW Golf, which I bought thinking it was a better choice for the environment than a gasoline engine. Therefore, I was disappointed to read your message that diesel is probably a worse choice. However, you didn't talk at all about biodiesel. Can you give us a rundown on this fuel -- how to get it, how it may be beneficial, and what you might have to do to ensure your car can run on it safely? Thank ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, biofuels, cars, energy, food and agriculture, green living, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking (all these topics)

Ecotopias, Part II On environmentally friendly communities, again	Umbra Fisk	19 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Dearest Readers, In my last column, I received a plea from James "Captain Planet" Fitzpatrick of Florida, a firefighter looking to relocate to a small, friendly, environmentally conscious mountain community with good schools, reasonably clean air and water, and no polluting companies or toxic waste sites. As this was obviously a job for discerning Grist readers, I turned the question over to ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking, Portland (all these topics)

Ecotopias, Part I On environmentally friendly communities	Umbra Fisk	06 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Hello, Umbra, I have been a firefighter for 23 years in Florida and have been reading Grist for the last couple of years. I am very environmentally conscious (probably why my nickname at the fire station is Captain Planet) and am starting to look for a place to move with mountains, small and friendly (preferably environmentally conscious) communities that still have reasonably clean air and water and a lack of hu ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Sin Diesel On diesel engines	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Longtime reader; first-time writer. Love the column. My partner and I recently bought a small station wagon to replace our 4WD pick-up and '83 sedan. After some debate, we chose a turbo-diesel engine that boasts about 45 miles per gallon instead of a gas engine, which gets about 30 MPG. Our thinking led us to choose the higher fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions of the diesel engine, although the gas engine produces fewer par ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, green living, oil, placemaking, toxics (all these topics)

Autodidactic On picking the right car	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, In 1981, I bought my first car, a Honda Civic. It was a great car, and despite what certain congressional leaders say about car size and safety, an excellent vehicle for handling winter snow and ice in mountain driving in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The problem is that now, living in Pennsylvania, my husband and I and our three children are looking for a car that will be able to carry the five of us for the next 10 years wi ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking (all these topics)

Coolant On cooling your car	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Is it more efficient to drive down the highway with my windows down or the air conditioner on? I know the air conditioner decreases gas mileage, but I bet having my windows down at 75 miles per hour produces pretty good drag. Thanks, Sara Dearest Sara, This is July's Question of the Month for Grist readers, apparently. I received a passel of virtually identical queries with minute variations. ("How much drag do you get from ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Car Talk On hybrid cars	Umbra Fisk	04 Jun 2002	Ask Umbra
Umbra, hi, With Honda having just released its gas-electric hybrid Civic in the U.S., many enviros are scrambling to buy one. But one question that hasn't been answered to my knowledge is whether the total amount of energy, pollution, mining, etc. involved in making a new car -- even a hybrid -- constitutes a greater overall environmental impact than the added emissions and fossil-fuel consumption of a huge old second-hand clunker that would cost ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

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