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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Lady, Bugged
On fighting pests with pests |
Umbra Fisk |
16 May 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I have a pest problem in my backyard -- specifically, some tiny (but apparently hungry) insect is making lace out of my basil leaves. I do not want to use pesticides for many reasons, not the least of which is that I cook with the herbs I grow. I think I have found a "natural" solution, but I wanted to consult you first. My garden-supply store sells praying-mantis egg cases ("The natural pest control s ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food, gardening, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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Senior Moments
On class gifts, again |
Umbra Fisk |
09 May 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, My class also wants to give a greener gift when we graduate in 2008. We are starting to plan, and though your suggestion of solar power is awesome and very true, that will not be possible at my Seventh-Day Adventist school. We did not receive permission to do anything like that. Is there anything else that we might do to inspire our campus to become green? Heather Pfeifle Berrien Springs, Mich. Dearest Heather, I'm torn ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, green living, religion and spirituality (all these topics) |
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Mall Me
On online shopping |
Umbra Fisk |
07 May 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, A friend and I were recently discussing a conundrum about purchasing products from companies that have physical retail outlets and online purchasing, like The Body Shop. Which is the most ecologically sound option? Local store: most likely drive there, the products had to be shipped there, your purchase probably generates a need to ship more products there ... but you are supporting a local business that pays taxes, etc. Buy online, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, shopping (all these topics) |
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No More Teachers' Dirty Looks
On gifts for your school |
Umbra Fisk |
25 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, I'm the senior president for my high school class. My cabinet and I want to leave a "green" gift to the school. We would like it to be something that is on campus or easily visible. Can you recommend anything in the $10,000 to $15,000 price range or below? I go to a public school in Northern California, if that's any help. I would appreciate a quick response; the end of the school year is quickly ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, green living (all these topics) |
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The Spoken Word
On bicycle tires |
Umbra Fisk |
23 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Is there such a thing as recycled bicycle tires? I have looked and even asked a friend's husband who wrenches in a local shop. He was not aware of any. I think because people ride their bike they automatically assume they are Earth-"friendlier" than others. But I go through two sets of tires a year (more due to road conditions than my riding style). While it is not a lot, they are still petroleum-based materials. So ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, green living (all these topics) |
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Stop It
On wine corks |
Umbra Fisk |
16 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Not that I am a big-drinking old lady or anything, but I find myself with a lot of wine corks that I can't find a recycling outlet for. All of my retired farmer friends have made all the cork trivets the neighborhood can stand. What to do with our corks, please? Marianne de Sobrino Eureka, Calif. Dearest Marianne, Here I go, focusing on the big stuff again. I found your letter charming, and it does bring up a three R's question along t ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Message on a Bottle
On aluminum bottles |
Umbra Fisk |
04 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Umbra, Are aluminum bottles safer than Nalgene bottles? I'm looking at getting Sigg bottles for my self, wife, and son. Vendor agnostic, are the materials used by aluminum-only vendors safer than those that incorporate Lexan? Chris Webber Seattle, Wash. Dearest Chris, I swear, I pick questions and only then do I notice that yet again I have chosen one from Seattle. It is not a conspiracy. I just wanted a question to go with our r ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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Mrs. Sippy
On plastic and kids |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, What about "sippy" cups for little kids, not to mention bottles? They're all plastic, and we all know that kids are more vulnerable to environmental toxins. What's a mom to do? Janet Byron Berkeley, Calif. Dearest Janet, A mom is to check the research and purchase only bottles and sippy cups that are not considered health hazards. Umbra is to help the mom do so right now in this very column. Sip sip ... harrumph. Photo ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Standing on Ceremony
On greening your wedding |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, How about some practical thoughts on "green" weddings? My daughter is planning an outdoor July wedding in Wisconsin -- any tips? The reception is going to be outdoors at our home. Tomm G. Waukesha, Wis. Hi Tomm, This week's theme is 10-foot-pole topics! Or love! They're one and the same! And they lived sappily ever after. Photo: iStockphoto Environmental issues to consider for weddings are going to be ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Mama's Got a Squeeze Box
On greening your sex life |
Umbra Fisk |
26 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hey Umbra! So I'm finally starting up a relationship with a guy as eco-friendly as I am (I'd say eco-freaky, but since I'm writing about sex, I thought it would be overload). However, since neither of us is into polluting, killing animals, or overpopulation, how do we go green in the bedroom? Just what are the ins and outs of eco-friendly safe sex? Sascha Portland, Ore. Dearest Sascha, Uh. The ins and outs are basicall ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, sex (all these topics) |
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Moonshine Lullaby
On organic liquors |
Umbra Fisk |
19 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, After an epic weekend of drinking, I realized I've never seen or heard about any organic liquors. I've seen organic beer and wine, but never any organic gin, vodka, scotch, etc. Any chance I can drink in the future without having to feel guilty about not being organically drunk? David Tucker Rockville, Md. Dearest David, Isn't the whole point of drunkenness insulation from guilt and its fellow emotions? Don't feel guilty. ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products (all these topics) |
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One Word
On oil and plastic |
Umbra Fisk |
14 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, How much oil is used to make a pound (or some other comparable measure) of typical plastics? Melody Evans Paris, Ill. Dearest Melody, Ah, Paris. Is it as lovely in the springtime as they say? Yes, Ben, plastics ... Photo: The Graduate (1967)/MGM Your question is a good and tricky one. Let's start with a look at how plastic is made. Manufacturers take simple hydrocarbons from whatever source material they're using -- commonly crud ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, green living, oil (all these topics) |
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Levels of Risk
On chlorine |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, So I've been buying unbleached diapers for my baby, using chlorine-free laundry and dish soaps and non-chlorine bleached paper, and generally thinking that's better for me and the environment. Then I go swimming in a chlorinated pool twice a week, sometimes with my kids! Is there a difference in the type of chlorine exposure? Is swimming a health risk? It certainly bothers my nose (I think I'll start using some nose plugs). Can you ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Trash Course
On landfills vs. incinerators |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, Is there an environmentally preferable choice between sending your trash to a landfill or an incinerator? I know to think of the three R's first, but what's the better way to dispose of the remainder? Incinerators convert waste into energy but generate air pollution. Landfills (ideally) recover and utilize methane but much of the waste will never decompose. So if one has a choice, what's the best of two evils? Lisa Dr ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Cleaning House
On disposing of toxic chemicals |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Mar 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Now that I've caught the environmental bug, I don't know what to do with the toxic cleaning products (e.g., Ajax) that I have on hand. As a bulk buyer, I've got 5 to 6 bottles in my garage. Is it better to use them up, throw them away, or just have them stay put in my garage? Jill Miller Pleasanton, Calif. Dearest Jill, Do not leave them in your garage! Home storage of unused toxics inevitably leads to irksome ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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Are You Kind?
Umbra on love and kindness |
Umbra Fisk |
14 Feb 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Sorry to hear you are under the weather. Hope you are fully jauntified soon! Brian Plymouth, Minn. Dearest Brian, Thank you so much for this note, and thank you to the other people who wrote in wishing me better health after a little comment I made about my head feeling like it was stuffed with insulation. I've been sick like a dog and so have my, uh, co-dependents, and it has been a super bummer, which is not a medi ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Honey and Vinegar
On convincing colleagues to turn the lights off |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Feb 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I'm always hollering at my friends and colleagues to turn off the lights when they leave the room. Considering my business is green-related, it blows me away that my staff can't seem to get a handle on flicking the switch. But it's probably mostly a matter of them not really knowing why it's important. So what's the elevator pitch -- you know, a good sentence or two? I know we're unnecessarily ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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Open Mouth, Insert Soot
On fireplace inserts |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Feb 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Our fireplace is terribly drafty when we're not using it, and not very functional when we do. Despite the cheery blaze, most of the heat seems to go up the chimney. I tend to burn those "green" coffee logs since setting a real fire isn't worth the trouble. My question is: should I think about getting a high-efficiency insert, or a pellet stove, or is burning wood just bad? And are those coffee logs reall ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy at home, green living (all these topics) |
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Re: Heat
On pellet stoves |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Feb 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am a policy analyst with Californians Against Waste, a recycling advocacy group. Just wondering why pellet stoves were not considered in your wood stove analysis. I have one and feel that overall they rate well compared to other heating options. Thanks, Scott Smithline Sacramento, Calif. Dearest Scott, Omitting pellet stoves from my analysis was just a plain old oversight. Only honesty between us, my friends. Let's talk about pe ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy at home, green living (all these topics) |
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You Were Always Cozy Like That
On insulation |
Umbra Fisk |
31 Jan 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I recently discovered that our attic is not insulated. While I live in the fairly warm climate of San Diego, we've been hit by a cold spell the last few weeks and I've cranked on the heater. I'd really like to insulate my home and was wondering what is the most planet-friendly method of doing so. I know it is good to reduce energy output, but I've heard that the insulation itself is not so environmentally friendly ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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Honeysuckle Prose
On burning yard waste |
Umbra Fisk |
24 Jan 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Your recent column seemed to be discussing mostly the burning of trash. What about yard waste? Each year I pull out tons of non-native and invasive honeysuckle. There is far too much to take to a landfill, and it would take years to rot down if left in some kind of compost pile. I know the burn gives off some CO2, but I honestly don't know what else I can do. Does your "prohibition" extend equally to this kin ... |
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| Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, green living, waste (all these topics) |
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Logging On
On which wood to burn |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Jan 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I live in Maine, land of many loggers. My home is heated by an oil furnace, and I try to keep the temps down with thermostat timers to use as little oil as possible. I supplement my heat with a wood stove, as many Mainers do, and in my travels I have noticed a big variation in how much smoke is coming through chimneys and stovepipes. Is there a better type of seasoned wood to burn as far as reducing pollutants? Wendy H. Free ... |
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| Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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From Pad to Worse
On that time of the month, again |
Umbra Fisk |
10 Jan 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You mentioned in "Kid Commando" that the "disposable vs. reusable diaper fight is in a stalemate for the foreseeable future." Is the same true for sanitary napkins? Clara Yuan Ithaca, N.Y. Dearest Clara, I haven't heard tell of the debate, frankly. I certainly get several "which is better" diaper questions a month, but yours is the first on sanitary napkins in quite a while. Pe ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, health (all these topics) |
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Everything Auld is New Again
On New Year's resolutions |
Umbra Fisk |
03 Jan 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dearest Readers, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2007. Who knows what it will hold for us all. I hope you have a few parts of your year planned and have resolved to leave the rest up to chance, fate, and short-term impulses. As has become my tradition, I shall start the year with a few resolutions of my own. I just revisited my 2006 Grist resolution, which -- as part of a strange condom-related commentary on reduci ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Wrapper's Delight
On wrapping creatively |
Umbra Fisk |
18 Dec 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Due to my procrastinating nature, I once again find myself in the position of having to wrap what seems like hundreds of gifts in wasteful wrapping paper, only to have it torn apart and thrown away the very next day. I'm a proponent of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy, but during the holidays, wrapping my gifts in the Sunday comics doesn't say "mindful conservationist" so much as it says &q ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday, recycling (all these topics) |
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