Grist | Topics | 22 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 22 of 22
Headline	Author	Published	Section
If By Clean You Mean Filthy On clean coal	Umbra Fisk	23 Jul 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I noticed that several of the presidential primary debates were sponsored by clean coal. This was announced during breaks and several commercials aired. I have since seen several more commercials and online advertisements. Is clean coal an oxymoron? Is this a PR stunt or are there any real environmental benefits to clean coal that rival solar and wind? See www.americaspower.org. Andrew S. Brookline, Mass. Dearest An ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, climate, green living, greenwashing, mercury, shenanigans, toxics (all these topics)

Unnecessary Evil On short-haul flights	Umbra Fisk	25 Jun 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I work in the touring music business, based in the U.K. but touring worldwide. I have noticed recently that the record companies are booking cheap flights for short distances, e.g., London-Manchester, about 200 miles. Over such short distances, there is no saving in time, due to travel to and from airport, checking in, etc. Trains would be quicker, but unfortunately in the U.K., trains are more expensive. I would like t ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, air travel, Ask Umbra, climate, ecological footprint, green living (all these topics)

A Winter's Trail On air quality and temperature	Umbra Fisk	21 Feb 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Is there a relationship between air quality and temperature? I thought about this on my bike ride to work this morning when the smell of exhaust from cars seemed more potent, and the fumes were certainly more visible in the 32-degree air. I know that air quality in Los Angeles is worse during the summer. And "code red" or "code orange" air quality days occur in the summer in Washington, D.C. ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, green living, waste (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Matching Wits On burning trash	Umbra Fisk	08 Jan 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We recycle and compost as best we can, but we are still left every week with some trash. Up to this point we've dutifully hauled it to the local dump, which then trucks it away to some landfill. My husband has recently discovered that, since we live outside of city limits, we are able to burn our trash. Thus my question -- between a landfill and burning, which is the lesser of two evils? Lynn Titche Bedford, Ind. Dearest Lynn ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, toxics, waste (all these topics)

Teach Your Children Well On toxic schools	Umbra Fisk	30 Aug 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My four-year-old daughter is attending a brand-new preschool program in a brand-new building this fall. Nothing was missed in setting up the school for the best possible education for young minds. Unfortunately, it's filled with all those toxic "new" smells. When we toured the building, I developed a headache within five minutes. Are there any known mitigators for those already-installed toxic smells, like ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, education, toxics (all these topics)

Midnight Run On running and pollutants	Umbra Fisk	07 Aug 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I am a runner, and in the summertime it is difficult for me to run during the day because of the heat. Unfortunately, it's a no-no for me to run in green spaces late at night because they are dark, deserted, and thus quite unsafe. So this leaves me the option of running in busy areas of the city after the sun has gone down. At these hours, the traffic is usually light, which makes for a more pleasant run -- but I'm wond ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, sports (all these topics)

Matters of the Hearth On fireplaces	Umbra Fisk	23 Jan 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We pile on socks and sweaters, but there are just times you need more warmth. Should we use the fireplace or our central (gas-powered) heater? Also, can you let us know which is better, natural firewood or those chemically infused logs that claim lower particulate matter is released? Kas Sut Davis, Calif. Dearest Kas, Although we've contemplated this heating dilemma before, I find I have more to say about fire. Don't use ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Wheels of Fortune On bicycle commuting, again	Umbra Fisk	31 Oct 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, So what about bike commuting? Is it safe? Is it good? Is it encouraged? P.K. Borzo St. Paul, Minn. Dearest P.K., Yes, yes, yes. Lungwise, biking is at least as safe as driving, if not more so. It's true, as many readers pointed out after my previous column, that we breathe more heavily when bicycling than driving. But the scientists thought of that. In general, we are not worse off biking in regular old city tra ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, bikes, 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)

Give a Hoot, Offset a Poot On offsetting emissions from flatulence	Umbra Fisk	31 Aug 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I was wondering if there is any information about the average CO2 emissions from human flatulence. My friend (and I really do mean my friend, I'm not just trying to hide that it's for me) has a birthday coming up, and I think it would be a fun and meaningful gift to get him renewable-energy credits for his CO2 emissions. Thanks! Matt Ashland, Wis. Dearest Matt, When I first began writing thi ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy, wind power (all these topics)

Idle Thoughts On whether to leave the engine running	Umbra Fisk	23 Sep 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have a question that has been nagging me for a while, and I would really like to have it answered once and for all. You see, I deliver pizzas for a living right now, and so I make many frequent stops and starts at people's houses during a shift. I always turn off my engine whenever I make a delivery or am waiting at the store for the next order to come up, because I believe in doing my part to keep our ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking (all these topics)

The Tao of Stove On wood stoves	Umbra Fisk	26 Jan 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, When you suggested that someone may want wood heat because it "makes you feel like a country stud," you made an erroneous assumption -- that your audience is entirely urban. Here in Skamokawa, Wash., many a mile from the nearest natural gas line, the choices are essentially wood or electricity. In September, my family installed a Blaze King wood stove, which uses a catalytic converter to convert smoke to heat. Not on ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics)

Plane Text Advice on driving vs. flying	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Hi Umbra, I'm wondering if you have any numbers comparing the fuel efficiency of flying versus driving the average car for the same distance. Also, how does carbon dioxide production compare for the same trip? Steve Loomis, Calif. Dearest Steve, Flight blight? Here's what I can find so far, courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute in beautiful Snowmass, Colo. Single-occupancy automobiles produce 0.91 pounds of carbon dioxide per ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking, travel (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)

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)

Atmos-Fear On ground-level ozone	Umbra Fisk	10 Oct 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Where I live, the air is declared "unhealthful" on many days in the summer due to ground-level ozone pollution. On those days, we have to stay inside until after about 3 p.m. My question is: What causes ground-level ozone to form and what are its reported health effects on adults and children? Dean Bakersfield, Calif. Dearest Dean, Ground-level ozone is the unholy love child of fuel combustion and sunlight, and the ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, ozone (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)

Con Trails On chemtrails	Umbra Fisk	23 Apr 2002	Ask Umbra
I'm interested in learning more about Chemtrails. I understand that they are spread in the sky by jets using aluminum particles and that they are used to create cooler weather to slow down global warming. However, people are suffering from health problems as a result of this spraying action. If you have more information on Chemtrails, I would be interested in hearing about it. Terry Dearest Terry, Airplanes release water vapor as a byproduct of ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, toxics (all these topics)

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