Grist | Topics | 327 Results

RESULTS		Results 301 – 325 of 327
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Always a Big Turn-off On turning off fluorescent lights	Umbra Fisk	16 Jan 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, You'd be so proud of us! We just had an hour-long meeting about conservation and environmentalism here in our office. In the course of our discussion, the topic of leaving the lights on came up. I am a religious light-switcher, meaning I turn lights off in the bathroom or wherever they're left on. One of my colleagues was under the impression that it takes more energy to turn fluorescent lights on a ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Quid Pro Snow On snowy sidewalks	Umbra Fisk	10 Dec 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Being a new homeowner, I've realized the responsibility of keeping the sidewalk slip-proof during the winter months. Of course, shoveling will be the first line of defense, but that never seems to do the trick, often leaving that thin layer of slippery snow. And then there is the ice. I know that salt and sand can be fairly nasty to local rivers and streams (not to mention the white stains on my floors). So what are the best ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, water pollution (all these topics)

Wrapture On wrapping paper	Umbra Fisk	10 Dec 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Any suggestions on where to find recycled wrapping paper? I know the real environmental choice is to reuse stuff I have around the house, but sometimes newspaper, etc., just doesn't have the right look. Any ideas where I can find recycled/tree-free wrapping paper for the holiday season? I've been looking around (both online and off) but all I can find is rolls of brown packing paper. I want something a little more festive. Thanks, ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday, recycling (all these topics)

The Organic Verses On organic food and farming	Umbra Fisk	26 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I try to buy organic food where possible, but I notice that there is often a tradeoff with other factors. For example, organic food has often been shipped further and/or is more heavily packaged. How do I assess those tradeoffs? Ellen Watertown, Mass. Dearest Ellen, As I've mentioned before, the USDA national organic standards came into effect last month, an event that has caused both rejoicing and concern in t ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, CSAs, farmers markets, food, food and agriculture, green living, local food, organic food, sustainable ag (all these topics)

Just Spray No On fruit sprays and organic food	Umbra Fisk	26 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, The tangerines I bought recently had this on the label: "Thiabendazole and/or orthopenylphenol and/or imazalil used as fungicides, and coated with food-grade shellac based wax or resin to maintain freshness." Presumably the shellac stays on the skin and does not affect the fruit, but what about the other products? What are these products and do we know what the impact of spraying or putting them on the ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, food, food and agriculture, green living, industrial ag, organic food, toxics (all these topics)

Bunk Rock On sustainable bunk beds	Umbra Fisk	14 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've been looking for a sustainably harvested bunk bed for my five-year-old son for quite some time now. I have found only one company, Pacific Rim, that makes such an item. It seems like a great company, but it doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for. When I search online, all I read about are "super low, unbeatable prices," rather than the really important details, like whether it's any good for our planet. Do ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, logging (all these topics)

Mulch It Over On making mulch from paper	Umbra Fisk	14 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I know this is a silly question, probably the strangest you've ever gotten, but I'm curious. Where I live, there isn't a place nearby to recycle paper. I reuse most of my paper as scratch paper and have attempted to make my own paper using a blender and a screen. The problem is, making my own paper isn't worthwhile, and I can't possibly use that much scratch paper. Besides, what do I do with the paper after I have use ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living (all these topics)

Keep Soap Alive On used soap	Umbra Fisk	14 Nov 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, At a gym I go to, lots of guys pick up bars of soap, use them for two minutes, and then leave them (even though there is a liquid soap dispenser in the showers). Is there any good use for several pounds of partially used soap per day? Dennis Seattle, Wash. Dearest Dennis, I have some harebrained schemes for you, but there are some natural limitations on the success of used-soap projects. First, there is the cost/benefit limitati ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics)

The Green Beyond On corpses	Umbra Fisk	31 Oct 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, What's the greenest method of disposing of one's corpse? I'm just dying to know. Buchacha Austin, Texas Dearest Buchacha, You are not the only one thinking of the Great Green Beyond; there are more choices about the fate of your corpse than you might imagine. Let's start with the traditional options: Cremation is greener than burial, for (at least) three reasons. First, embalming (which is common although not mandatory) uses noxi ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics)

Wick-ed Witches On candles	Umbra Fisk	31 Oct 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Recently, nature-conscious religions such as Paganism and Wicca are getting a lot of attention. This is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, such religions inspire love for the environment and have spawned many eco-nuts (myself included, I admit). However, although most of the common practices seem to be eco-friendly enough, I'm concerned about some of the incense and candles being burned. I've heard a lot of nasty rumors about these ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, green living, religion and spirituality, toxics (all these topics)

Walk the Walk on Water On water conservation	Umbra Fisk	10 Oct 2002	Ask Umbra
Dearest Umbra, How can I convince friends to conserve water? I write a column for my church newsletter to encourage responsible environmental practices by church members. One member said recently that he doesn't see any need to conserve water personally; given that our area has plenty of water, why should he turn off the tap when he brushes his teeth? I'm not sure. Our local environmental organization's slogan is, "If we ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (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)

Deft Pallet On wooden pallets	Umbra Fisk	06 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've scrounged some old wooden shipping pallets for garden projects -- compost piles and raised planting boxes. They appear to be untreated wood, but I'm feeling paranoid. Is there any way to know? Do companies that make pallets routinely spray them with any preservatives? Thanks, Jim Dearest Jim, Great nations consider your humble garden pallets to be of vital economic importance. As world trade expands, the global market ofte ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics)

Now We're Cookin' With Gas Advice on eco-friendly grilling	Umbra Fisk	06 Sep 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, What sort of grill (charcoal or gas) is the fairest of them all -- speaking from an environmentalist's viewpoint, of course! R. Widiss Dearest R., Gas. I gather that lively debate exists in the barbecue set over which yields better flavor: the briquettes, with their flavorful smoke and irregular heat, or boring old gas, which cooks evenly and imparts fewer smoky (aka burnt) flavors to the object de g ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy, food, food and agriculture, green living, natural gas (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)

Weed Creed On weeding	Umbra Fisk	30 Jul 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We moved into a suburban neighborhood in Ft. Collins, Colo., last year and I began my usual organic gardening practices. I created a beautiful flower garden in our front yard, but I still receive complaints from my neighbors because I refuse to apply herbicides to kill the dandelions and other weeds in the lawn. At least they are all green and neatly mowed! My scientific explanations about the dangers of herbicides and pesticides and th ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics)

A New Day Lawning On lawn and garden pesticides	Umbra Fisk	30 Jul 2002	Ask Umbra
Dearest Umbra, Goddess of Green Knowledge, A few years ago, a farmer friend of mine argued that more pesticides and chemical fertilizers are applied to suburban lawns and gardens than are used in commercial agriculture. I can see how this might be the case, given the massive size of the lawn and garden chemical industry, but I haven't been able to verify this information. Can you help? Ed Hunt Dearest Ed, Supplicant, The l ...
Topics: advice, agriculture, Ask Umbra, gardening, green living, health, toxics (all these topics)

Clothes Call On clothing	Umbra Fisk	30 Jul 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My nephew says that new clothes and other apparel that come from foreign countries are treated with toxic chemicals to avoid various types of fungal or insect contamination, and upon arriving at the loading dock of your favorite wanker-mart, they are ripe to toxify the air, your skin, your eyes. He worked on such a dock and had to wear a respirator and other protective devices to avoid dangerous levels of exposure to the stuff. So I ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, fashion, green living, toxics (all these topics)

Give Yourself a Wedgie On recycling beer bottles with lime wedges	Umbra Fisk	21 Jun 2002	Ask Umbra
Most Honorable Umbra, Knower of All Green Things: Am I unwittingly hampering the recycling process by twisting that lime wedge into my bottle of beer? The dang things are tough to get back out! Humbly yours, Jill Brooks Dearest Jill, Please be assured that I thoroughly investigated your problem. I started with Personal Solutions. I have a pile of limes I keep down here to fend off scurvy, and I spent som ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food, green living, recycling (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)

Just Bag It On grocery bags	Umbra Fisk	04 Jun 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, At the grocery store, when they ask "Paper or plastic?" (and you have left your eco-friendly organic cotton tote bag at home), which is the lesser of two evils as far as total pounds of pollutants per bag (including solid waste, hazardous waste, and air and water pollution), and as far as ecological damage from raw material extraction and processing? Anna Dearest Anna, I am beginning to believe that true national environ ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, waste (all these topics)

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