 Stories About: advice AND Ask Umbra AND green living
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She'll Tumble For Ya
On dryer sheets |
Umbra Fisk |
18 Oct 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You mentioned toxic dryer sheets in your recent column on clothing, but without a reference to how they are toxic, etc. Lisa Milligan Fayetteville, Ark. Dearest Lisa, I appreciate the brevity and directness of your query. I'll strive to meet the same standards herein. Fresh air beats faux fragrance any day. Photo: iStockphoto As I mentioned parenthetically in my previous column, the contents of mainstream dryer sheets ca ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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The Sweet Lowdown
On chocolate |
Umbra Fisk |
16 Oct 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Although I buy most of my chocolate as fair trade or organic, I was wondering if you might enlighten me on the politics and economics of the chocolate (cocoa) industry. Where is most of it grown? What are the working conditions of those who are employed there? How effective is fair trade in getting to the growers? Just another ethical choco guy Whistler, B.C. Dearest JAECG, What with Halloween coming up, this is a frightfully ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food and agriculture, green living (all these topics) |
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Clothes Encounters
On synthetic fabrics and kids |
Umbra Fisk |
11 Oct 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I have just recently learned about all these plastic-awareness issues and now wonder about polyester clothing, or any human-made fabric for that matter, on my children (three girls: 3, 5, and 7 years old). If plastics can leach out into their bodies, can clothing also affect them? Julie Roberts Nevada City, Calif. Dearest Julie, The clothing we wear can affect all of us, as well as our environment. But should ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, fashion, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Which Craft?
On kayak materials |
Umbra Fisk |
04 Oct 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I'm planning on kayaking the Inside Passage next summer and am having a hard time deciding what kind of boat to get. Are there any environmental reasons to choose a kayak material? Mostly I'm torn between plastic, which is cheaper and more durable, vs. fiberglass, which is lighter and faster, or Kevlar, which is even more expensive and lighter. I've decided against wood because I don't think it is durable enough. What about a ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, sports (all these topics) |
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Consumption Unction, What's Your Function?
On reducing consumption |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Oct 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, If recycling requires energy to turn one's discarded waste into usable products, and "climate solutions take precedence over garbage-production concerns," as you wrote in June, why are we so focused on recycling and not on reducing our initial consumption? Surely this should be at the forefront of the individual consumer's attempts to help the environment, shouldn't it? Consumed wit ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics) |
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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 ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics) |
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An Affinity That Chafes Our Ends
On recycled toilet paper |
Umbra Fisk |
25 Sep 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, The few brands of recycled-content toilet paper available are nasty. Why is it so difficult to manufacture TP that's not from virgin trees but doesn't feel like bark on one's sensitive skin? What exactly is the technological barrier the nation's scientists must overcome in order to make a roll that's sensitive, both against our skin and environmentally? Jennifer Stanley Oakland, Calif. Dearest Jennif ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products (all these topics) |
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As Phosphate Would Have It
On phosphates in detergents |
Umbra Fisk |
20 Sep 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Why haven't phosphates been removed from dishwashing detergents like they have been from laundry detergents? I know they make your clothing look brighter, but what do they do for dishes? Natalie Waddell-Rutter North East, Pa. Dearest Natalie, Phosphates in dish detergent do a few nice things for dishwasher-washed dishes. Their biggest contribution is that they essentially soften the effects of "ha ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics) |
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Follow Her LED
On LEDs |
Umbra Fisk |
18 Sep 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Where are the LED replacement bulbs for normal household incandescents? They're supposed to be more efficient, cheaper, cooler, longer-lasting, and less toxic, right? So why aren't there any LED bulbs similar to CFLs? I've been looking around but haven't been able to find any yet besides flashlights, holiday lights, and the like. Still in the dark, Tim Eureka, Calif. Dearest Tim, As you suspected, LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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Juvenile Call
On motivating teenagers |
Umbra Fisk |
11 Sep 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I'm an officer for my high school's chapter of the National Honor Society, and we stress academic importance and help our community by doing service projects. I'm trying to get a service project going in support of the environment. Greenhouse-gas emissions and alternative fuels are some things I tried to bring up at our officer meetings to motivate my friends to help out, but they don't seem too interested. What I want t ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, green living (all these topics) |
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Putt on a Happy Face
On greener golfing |
Umbra Fisk |
06 Sep 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am getting an early start on my Christmas shopping this year, and always try to find sustainable gifts whenever possible. My father is an avid golfer. I have been pleased to see that the golf community's efforts to be more ecologically sensitive have been making news lately. I would like to treat my dad to a round on an eco-friendly course, but have had trouble finding a list of such courses online. Also, I saw that ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, sports (all these topics) |
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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 ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, green living, placemaking, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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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 ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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In Tents
Umbra on eco-friendly tents |
Umbra Fisk |
09 Aug 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, When I posted this question locally, I started a brouhaha about owning a car. Hopefully you can answer more succinctly -- any suggestions for a tent made out of reasonably friendly materials? Alex Bernardin San Francisco, Calif. Dearest Alex, There's plenty to say about friendly tents, and nary a brouhaha in sight. Since I'm not sure from your question what you want the tent to be friendly to, or exactly what you want to u ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Freezer Learn
On fridge-freezer efficiency |
Umbra Fisk |
26 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Are there any environmental advantages to the refrigerators with the freezer on the bottom and the fridge on the top? Annette Indianapolis, Ind. Dearest Annette, There are three fridge/freezer configurations: side by side, bottom freezer, and top freezer. In models with comparable storage volume, the least efficient is the side by side. Top and bottom models, on the other hand, are fairly close in their efficiency ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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Counter Measures
On countertops |
Umbra Fisk |
24 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| With the home remodeling boom, we keep wondering: what is the best countertop choice? We've gone through a couple homes since getting married, and are now considering building our own. Laminate, Formica, butcher block, concrete, granite, plastic, composite, tile ... they all have their own durability merits and drawbacks, but from creation to home health, which is the friendliest? Leonie Mowat and Greg Overley North Las Vegas, Nev. Dear ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, recycling (all these topics) |
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MP3's Company
On CDs and MP3s |
Umbra Fisk |
19 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, As I was carrying a stack of CDs from the car into my home, my sister laughed and showed me the size of her MP3 player, which contains well over 100 times the music at a fraction of the size. Environmentally, which causes less of an impact? I hear that all these (non-recyclable) portable devices are terrible for the environment, and I've had some of my CDs going on (gasp!) 15 years. Downloading seems like it produces less waste, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics) |
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Tape of Good Hope
On recycling tapes and videos |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, What to do? I'm a child of the late '70s, and one of the last to remember what it was like to exchange a mix tape at age 15. Now I'm hitting my 30s, and realize I still have that Color Me Badd tape. I really want to chuck it, but don't have the heart to put it in the trash. What's a girl to do? Where can I send my shamefully-bad-taste-in-music tapes? Patricia O. North Plainfield, N.J. Dearest Patricia, Hey, s ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling (all these topics) |
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All Up in Your Grill
On recycling foil |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Summertime grilling is in full swing at our house, but I am wondering what the ecological cost is of all that aluminum foil we're using in place of our regular pots and pans. Sure makes for great clean up, but it is not recyclable as aluminum cans are. Sandra Liebe Paris, Ill. Dearest Sandra, I hate to be the one to point this out, but it's a little rude to say you're barbecuing all the time and not invite me. I'm use ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling (all these topics) |
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Textile Messaging
On old clothes |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Jul 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I promise that I searched the archives before emailing you, so hopefully you haven't already answered this question. I'm wondering about the best way to dispose of old clothes and shoes -- the tired, well-loved, and much-worn items that thrift shops really don't want. I wear my clothes until the bitter end, and then I just don't know what to do with them. Old T-shirts make great rags, but then what? Carrie Doring Seattle, W ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, fashion, green living, recycling (all these topics) |
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Something in the Way She Moves
On moving |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Is there such a thing as "green movers"? I want to transport furniture from L.A. to Seattle and wonder if any movers use biodiesel vehicles or something like that. Andy Luk Seattle, Wash. Dearest Andy, You know, we're moving too. What a coincidence! Crate expectations. Photo: iStockphoto. But we're not moving far -- just a few blocks -- and have tailored a green moving system all our own. Firstly, we're us ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, green living (all these topics) |
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Your Finest Shower
On shower curtains |
Umbra Fisk |
26 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You have successfully instilled the fear of all things vinyl in me. Now the big question is: with what do I replace my old vinyl shower curtain? We have a cotton one at work, but it clings to your legs like a drowning jellyfish. This, and the constant mold, is something I would like to avoid in my own bathroom. Any suggestions? Flo Miller Montpelier, Vt. Dearest Flo, I'm always full of suggestions -- in a wide range of ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics) |
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Just Screw It
On replacing light bulbs |
Umbra Fisk |
21 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am reluctant to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs because that means tossing out not only used-but-still-working incandescent bulbs, but also the brand-new bulbs I have waiting in the closet. Is it really a positive effect overall when we're reducing our carbon emissions but adding to landfills? Julie Pittsburgh, Pa. Dearest Julie, Damn fine idea ... don't know why I didn't think of it myself. The gummint sa ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, waste (all these topics) |
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Pay Watch
On farmers' markets and food stamps |
Umbra Fisk |
19 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Do organic grocers take food stamps? Do farmers' markets? If not, what do ecologically/health-minded people on fixed incomes do? David Burch South Bend, Ind. Dearest David, Did you know that in many states food stamps are no longer stamps? Plastic cards similar to ATM cards have replaced the paper coupons. Electronic Benefit Transfer, it's called, and it's not dissimilar to a bank card with a finite, monthly re ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food and agriculture, green living (all these topics) |
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Eau de Bulb
On smelly CFLs (and mercury too) |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Jun 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, We have been replacing our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, but we notice that the compact fluorescents have an odd smell. Are they emitting something we should know about? Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury; can the bulbs discharge the mercury into the air? Tom Murphy Wellsboro, Pa. Dearest Tom, I don't know of anything that would be emitted from your bulbs and smell. If it is you ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, mercury, toxics (all these topics) |
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