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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Cradle to Cradle
On baby nurseries |
Umbra Fisk |
20 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am pregnant and wondering if you know of any websites or resources for setting up a nursery -- for green furniture, bedding, and mattresses. We're painting the nursery with low-VOC paint and looking for low-VOC carpeting, and we gratefully accept used toys and clothes from friends and family. Janine Olsen Pine Brook, N.J. Dearest Janine, Happy to advise, based on a bit of research I've done for you in particular, but als ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics) |
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Politicked Off
On politicians and the environment |
Umbra Fisk |
15 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I got into a long debate with a conservative friend recently about how President Bush has shown that he does not have environmental interests at heart. But I did not have any facts on hand about detrimental policies or budget cuts. On the other hand, my friend was able to go to the EPA website and show me a list of initiatives and results. There must be some reason environmentalists feel that Bush is not Moth ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, politics (all these topics) |
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The Sweets Hereafter
On dorm snacks |
Umbra Fisk |
13 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, As a hall adviser at a college where social activism is valued, I find myself stuck when it comes to entertaining en masse. Sure, I buy from local farms when buying snacks for myself, but when leaving goodies for my hall, putting the ever-enticing winter squash outside a resident's door does not say "midnight snack." Basically, I want to have my candy and eat it too. How can I appeal to the green in me while appe ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, food and agriculture, local food, organic food (all these topics) |
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Better Freight Than Never
On alternatives to flying |
Umbra Fisk |
08 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I just read about Brits swearing off flying and feel such a sense of elation that I'm not the only one! Difference is, I'm in the U.S. I can't take the train to Thailand. Any ideas on transoceanic travel? What will it take to get from Boston to Europe by boat? Anna Churchill Watertown, Mass. Dearest Anna, Not much -- just planning ahead, a hardy stomach or a good supply of Dramamine, and a few weeks of ad ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Quad Squad
On college Earth Day fests |
Umbra Fisk |
06 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, With Earth Day coming up, our environmental group at Purdue, Campus Greens, is trying to plan some events. Last year we had 15 groups handing out information and we provided free veggie burgers plus other food. This year we were hoping to expand on that success and include some activities like having people manually power a TV, washing machine, or some electronic device. Other than that, we're really struggling for ideas ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, education, Indiana (all these topics) |
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Shall I Compare Thee to an Activist?
On love |
Umbra Fisk |
01 Mar 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I long to have a partner join in (or be excited and supportive) when I participate in an environmental event, or write a well-researched and poignant letter about a pressing environmental issue. I have broken off three serious relationships in the past few years because I decided the men were not environmentally sensitive enough. Where does a nice, smart chick like me meet a nice, smart, environmentally sensitive ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Give a Little Bit
On wedding registries |
Umbra Fisk |
27 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am getting married and would like to register for some socially and environmentally responsible household and kitchen items: pots, pans, etc. I found plenty of resources on organic cotton and hemp, but other than that I have come up with nothing! Paige Doughty Cambridge, Mass. Dearest Paige, This is a potential stumper. First we would have to figure out every possible thing that might be wrong with the pots and pan ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products (all these topics) |
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Greece Lightening
On vacations |
Umbra Fisk |
22 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, My wife and I want to celebrate our 25th anniversary by taking a significant trip. We are thinking of a 10-day European vacation, possibly the Greek islands. I am conflicted by my dedication to celebrating this milestone and my dedication to living eco-friendly. What advice would you have for those wanting to travel while limiting their impact on the environment? Realistically, if I hope to enjoy another 25 years of marriage, I ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, Greece, travel (all these topics) |
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Carpet Diem
On carpeting |
Umbra Fisk |
15 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Our home is mostly wood floors, but we would like to have a carpeted den. My gut instinct is that the carpet pad (looks like the foam from the inside of a car seat all smooshed together with other pieces) is full of chemicals that will constantly offgas. Am I right? If so, is there an alternative, or something to do so we can have a safe carpeted area? Yosh Schulman Millerton, N.Y. Dearest Yosh, Almost all the articles I just read ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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Love Factually
On Valentine's Day |
Umbra Fisk |
13 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Do you have any advice on how to have a guilt-free, pleasurable Valentine's Day? I would like to give my husband gifts that are good for him and the environment. Krista Ashley Gadsden, Ala. Dearest Krista, Love, love, love. Does greeting him at the door dressed in strategically placed hemp napkins count as a Valentine's Day present? Your birthday suit: the most ecological clothing. Good for you, pleasurable, and guilt-free ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Bamboozled
On bamboo flooring |
Umbra Fisk |
08 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, We will be putting in new flooring in the very near future. My first choice was hardwood, but I have recently read a lot about bamboo. Because it is renewable, it seems to be a better option. But how is it grown? Who is harvesting it? Are the people in the industry fair to their employees? Is it truly a better option for the environmentally conscious, or just a marketing tactic? Kathleen DiBacco Darien, Ill. Dearest Kathleen, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living (all these topics) |
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I'm Floored
On flooring options |
Umbra Fisk |
06 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, If I have to replace my old carpet, what are the environmental pros and cons of the different choices? (Ceramic tile, carpet, or the laminate flooring sold at Home Depot seem to be the most common.) And can I recycle my old carpet? Claudia Bloom Mesa, Ariz. Dearest Claudia, I'm going to lay out all the flooring choices of which I'm aware, and I'll talk about some of them in depth in upcoming columns. In terms of your carpet, ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living (all these topics) |
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Rock the Coat
On eco-friendly paint |
Umbra Fisk |
01 Feb 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I just bought a home that needs lots of TLC, and would like to do it in a way that is best for the environment and my health. Do you have any advice about the best choice of interior paint? Every room in the house desperately needs new paint, but I'd like to avoid inhaling all the toxic who-knows-what in your basic everyday latex paint. Carrie Wadman Phoenixville, Pa. Dearest Carrie, My advice is to go with yellow, always ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, toxics (all these topics) |
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Cutting the Cord
On cell phones vs. land lines |
Umbra Fisk |
30 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, In this day and age, when many people seem to be getting rid of their "land lines" in favor of cell phones, I find myself wondering how these two options stack up against one another from an environmental-impact perspective. Doug Quirk Eugene, Ore. Dearest Doug, I have a fairly strong anti-cell-phone bias. I am a cranky lady who believes they are eroding public manners and encouraging various irrespon ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living (all these topics) |
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Good Nintentions
On video games |
Umbra Fisk |
25 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, After reading some heart-rending, gut-wrenching articles on global warming, I've decided that I want to do something about it. I've started by vowing never to buy a car, or get a driver's license. But I happen to love video games. Nothing is going to make me stop playing my video games. As I am painfully aware, a consumer lifestyle is what contributes to global warming and the ecocide of our planet, so how can I be an environm ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, toxics, video games (all these topics) |
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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 ... |
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| Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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Laptop Dance
On choosing a laptop |
Umbra Fisk |
18 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am buying a new laptop, and I was wondering if all computers are the same energy-wise, or if some brands are better for the environment? Aviva Horrow Philadelphia, Pa. Dearest Aviva, You're already off to a good start, as laptops consume far less energy than desktop machines -- we're talking over 50 percent less. Thin is in. Photo: iStockPhoto. Computer manufacturers have three opportunities to earn their environmental s ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics) |
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Comic Relief
On amusing questions |
Umbra Fisk |
11 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, When I was a kid we were allowed to lick our plates at the dinner table, except when guests were present. We were told that starving children in other countries would never leave a scrap on their plates, and my mother also took it as a compliment to her cooking. I still lick my plate in the privacy of my home, but today there are environmental reasons: licking prevents a small amount of waste from being transported and dumpe ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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When the Rubber Hits the Road
On recycling condoms |
Umbra Fisk |
09 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| For the sake of argument, how does one recycle condoms? Unused they are plastic of some sort? I know it's a bit silly, but don't you just hate to have to flush them and all the water that goes with? Flavia S. Milan, Italy Dearest Flavia, In brief: condoms are generally made of latex and are not recyclable. (Though the actual recyclability of Milan condoms may be a question for the Milan Recycling Bureau, not yours trul ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, sex (all these topics) |
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Alarming Prate
On hyped-up verbiage |
Umbra Fisk |
04 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Surely you must have noticed that ubiquitous cliché of environmental reportage: the alarming rate. Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, coral reefs are being destroyed at an alarming rate, global warming is increasing at an a.r., and so forth. Clearly, the use of "alarming rate" is itself growing at an alarming rate. Do you have any idea where this particular phrase originated? How can we express our dis ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra (all these topics) |
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All Washed Up
On replacing appliances |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Jan 2006 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I've done the research, and I'm ready to buy my first front-loading washing machine. And then a pesky friend starts asking the tough questions. "Does your existing machine work?" Yes. "Are you going to sell it to someone else who will keep using it?" Yes. "So, two machines where there used to be one ... how is that better for the environment?" Can you help me answer this one? I'm facing the ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Prints Charming
On ecological footprints, again |
Umbra Fisk |
14 Dec 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I have a couple of questions that relate to how I live and ask others to live. First, my guess is that many of your readers are above average in terms of income and education; who is the average American that we need ultimately to create a sustainable life for? Second, as we try to make our personal lives more sustainable, what is the ecological footprint we need to seek (i.e., square acres or miles or whatever ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, ecological footprint, green living (all these topics) |
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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 ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Moving Light Along
On LED holiday lights |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Dec 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Suppose I replace all my many old, tangled, not-so-efficient holiday lights with the newer LED lights. These are supposed to be better for the environment. What is the best way to dispose of my old lights? R-M Ottawa, Canada Dearest R-M, The LED lights are indeed better for the environment, and, since I'm frankly running out of winter holiday-related questions (see my previous work on Christmas trees, gift wrap, cand ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy efficiency, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Gardener on the Roof
On green roofs |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Dec 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Our garage is in need of a new roof. We would like to build a "living roof" and are wondering where to start. Our long-term plan is to convert the space into an art studio, complete with insulation, electricity, and finished walls and floor. Do you have any pithy suggestions for us to consider while planning our roof, considering it will cover a finished room eventually? Lesley Victoria, B.C. Dearest Lesley, Not ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living (all these topics) |
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