 Stories About: advice
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Two Evils
On nuclear vs. coal |
Umbra Fisk |
16 Jan 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I work for a certain large environmental organization, and I have often had to deal with the issue of nuclear and coal-fired power plants. If ever asked which is better, we are officially supposed to say "neither." But I think a response like that doesn't always work for the real world, so I'd like to ask you, oh answerer of environmental questions, which type of power plant do you think is best (or, least worst) for t ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, coal, energy, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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For Give
On green donations |
Umbra Fisk |
14 Jan 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hey Umbra, With strict instructions from me, my parents decided to skip most of the presents this Christmas and give me the big-ticket item I had requested: money to give away. They've given me $1,000, far more than I expected, to donate to the charity of my choice. What environmental organizations would you recommend? (Other than Grist, of course!) Large groups like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club do wonderful work, but $1,000 is a drop in th ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, environmental movement (all these topics) |
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Worn Yesterday
On (inherited) fur coats |
Umbra Fisk |
09 Jan 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Oh advice maven on all things green, I have a problem! I live in a very cold climate (read: Great White North) and my mother recently gave me my grandmother's old fur coat. It is the warmest thing I have ever owned, but can I wear it? It was a gift from my grandfather to my grandmother back in the early 1960s! I have other friends who are in the same situation -- they have recently received regifted family furs that are no longer ... |
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| Topics: advice, animal welfare, Ask Umbra, recycling (all these topics) |
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Do They Suck?
On Camelbaks |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Jan 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Recently, I've started to try to avoid plastics (especially plastic water bottles). For Christmas, my brother gave me a Camelbak-type water bottle. How safe is this? I assume it's as bad as most plastic water bottles. Timothy Kearney Issaquah, Wash. Dearest Timothy, Gifting quandary alert. But does it suck? Photo: iStockphoto Not all plastic water bottles are equal. In a larger context of avoiding plastic, we may occasionally ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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In With the New
On resolutions for 2008 |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Jan 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, Sorry to crowd your inbox, but I just want to thank you for answering my question about paint disposal ... it was very helpful (as always). I'm SO glad you're back from being kidnapped. I hope it wasn't too awful an ordeal. Thanks again, Erin Chicago Dearest Erin, Happy New Year! Happy 2008, everybody! Photo: iStockphoto I hope 2007 wrapped up nicely for everybody, ended on a good note, with nice friends and/or famil ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Sleep of Faith
On organic mattresses |
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19 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I need a new mattress and really want to buy one that is not doused in chemicals -- in other words, an organic mattress. I've searched a number of sites online and have been horrified by the prices. They are really, really expensive! How bad is it if I buy a regular old affordable mattress? And if it's really that bad, where can I find an organic one that won't cost a small fortune? Emily Wynnewood, Pa. Dearest Emily, Hey, I just foun ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products (all these topics) |
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Brush With Destiny
On paint disposal |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, A friend of mine is a painter. He is concerned about the environment and has been trying to find out how to dispose of his paint buckets, extra paint, and other supplies in a way that is eco-friendly, but he's come up with nothing. We live in Chicago, and you would think that a huge city like this would have places to dispose of these kinds of things ... any advice? Erin Chicago, Ill. Dearest Erin, Uh, this question is r ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics) |
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She's Ba-ack
On a safe return |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dearest Readers, I am back. My captors released me early this morning, and I have never been happier to walk somewhere in my life. All that driving gets one down, doesn't it? Big thanks to the more than 2,000 of you who donated to Grist to help secure my release. I am in your debt, even more so than usual. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. I'll remember you all when I earn millions from my tell-all book. (And if you haven't gotten arou ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, holiday, recycling (all these topics) |
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Chem Again
On bleach |
Umbra Fisk |
10 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Greetings, I recently was infected with MRSA. It got better. As part of my treatment I'm supposed to use bleach in my laundry and around the house to help kill the bacteria. While I'm brunette, I feel like the stereotypical blonde about bleach. What are the environmental impacts of this chemical? Thanks, Emily Indiana Editor's Note: Oh, how Umbra would love to answer this question -- but she's been kidnapped! Please donate to Grist by 11:59 p.m. P ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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Buzz Kill
On Jell-O shots |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Greetings, A very important discussion among my colleagues this week: is it better to purchase reusable, petroleum-based products (plastic) or to use paper disposables? Specifically, we're talking about Jell-O shot cups. A recent (and brilliant) invention is this little plastic shot cup with a twistable ring inside. Ostensibly, a flick of the wrist will free even the most stubborn Jell-O shot and allow hours of fun. Some of my friends have argu ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food, funnies, green living, recycling (all these topics) |
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Give Grease a Chance
On cooking oil, again |
Umbra Fisk |
03 Dec 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, You missed a fantastic opportunity to promote biodiesel use of the cooking oil. There are many people collecting frying oil from restaurants and the like, and perhaps the reader could find a person collecting as well. Check newspaper ads for persons collecting or check the restaurants in your neighborhood for who is collecting. Thanks for the great articles. Keith McCready Waterloo, Iowa Editor's Note: Oh, how Umbr ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, food, green living (all these topics) |
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Root Cause
On living Christmas trees |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, I'm surprised that in your column on Christmas trees, you didn't mention the option of living trees, although I know they cannot be subjected to our warm indoor temperatures for very long. Can you discuss the option of living trees, how to treat them indoors, and what to do with them after the holidays? Thanks, Christina Gallegos Treeplanter and Naturalist Seattle, Wash. Editor's Note: Oh, how Umbra would love to answer ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Fry, Fry Again
On used cooking oil |
Umbra Fisk |
26 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, It's always nice to look through cookbooks and to watch cooking shows that feature yummy deep-fried food, and I have often been tempted to try and cook my own creations. However, no one ever seems to mention what they do with the used cooking oil, especially after deep-frying. What is the best way of disposing the oil? I do not want to tip it down the sink, and adding it to compost will suffocate the earthworms. Perhaps it' ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, food, green living, waste (all these topics) |
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Java Script
On reheating coffee |
Umbra Fisk |
21 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, As a web developer for a certain respectable online magazine somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, I drink a lot of coffee to keep me alert and my very demanding employers happy. However, in my constant imbibing of the dark elixir, I'm concerned about the energy use involved. Specifically, I can only drink coffee piping hot, and sometimes when I take a break from being wired and resume my regimen, what little coffee is left is i ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy efficiency, food, green living (all these topics) |
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The Innkeeper's Strife
On green hotels |
Umbra Fisk |
14 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, My husband and I are Americans who own a small budget hotel in Rome, Italy. We try to be as eco-friendly as possible: our cafe is local, organic, and vegetarian, we use compact fluorescent bulbs where we can (although cannot find an alternative for the halogen lighting systems we have), we use eco-friendly cleaning products, including the old standbys like vinegar and baking soda, we recycle and use all recycled paper p ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, consumerism, energy efficiency, greening biz operations (all these topics) |
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Smolder and Wiser
On fireplace ashes |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, What should we do with ashes from the fireplace? I've heard that they're great for the garden and I've heard that they may not be so good for the garden. Are they a good replacement for salt on slippery sidewalks? Janet Allen Syracuse, N.Y. Dearest Janet, Why not make some soap? Here come the holidays, after all. All you'd have to do is run water over the ashes to make potash, boil the potash down into lye, render your o ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics) |
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Kitty Twister
On cats and birds |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Jeepers, Creepers, How'd Ya Get Rid of Those Sneakers?
How to recycle athletic shoes, iPods, mattresses, and other oddities |
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06 Nov 2007 |
Grist Feature |
| Grist's Katharine Wroth and Chip Giller appeared on NBC's Today show on Tuesday, Nov. 6, telling Meredith Vieira how to recycle some of the odd and awkward items that you can't put out in your curbside bin. Athletic Shoes Got a pair (or a pile) of old sneakers that are too gross and grotty to give to charity? Nike will recycle any brand of athletic shoe through ... |
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| Topics: advice, green living, recycling (all these topics) |
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Strip Tease
On power strips |
Umbra Fisk |
05 Nov 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy at home, energy efficiency (all these topics) |
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Season's Bleatings
On corporate holiday cards |
Umbra Fisk |
31 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, business, green living, holiday (all these topics) |
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Here Comes the Son
On solar holiday lights |
Umbra Fisk |
29 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, As the holiday season approaches, I'm trying to figure out how to spread good cheer in home decorations while being sensitive to the environment. Years ago, my husband and I purchased strings of lights that we wrapped around the trunks of palm trees in our front yard. Now the wiser, I'd like to use these lights off the grid, if you will. Instead of purchasing new LED lights that are so popular right now (and in turn ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, holiday, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
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Wash and Dry
On dishwashing and droughts |
Umbra Fisk |
24 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I am trying to be so much more green than I used to be, so your column has helped me with the nagging questions. Now I wonder about living in a drought-stricken state with water restrictions and bulging landfills. Saturday I had a wedding shower for a dear niece and invited many women relatives. I decided to forgo convenience and served everything on beautiful plates, no paper plates, no plastic silverware, no plastic ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living (all these topics) |
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Ghoul, Interrupted
On Halloween |
Umbra Fisk |
22 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, We really enjoy the community aspect of trick-or-treating but we don't want to give out candy to the little ones, or toxic plastic Chinese toys. Two hundred kids come to our house every Halloween. How do we keep it green, safe, and economical? Jodi McMillian Charleston, W.Va. Dearest Jodi, Two hundred children? How did you keep it economical last year? Let's see, if you were to buy a bag of mini Snickers with 70 in the bag, a ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, health, holiday, parenting (all these topics) |
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Jet vs. Vette
On planes and cars |
Umbra Fisk |
17 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, Which is less harmful to the environment when traveling long distances, flying or driving? A jet puts out a lot of exhaust, but since it carries a lot of people, maybe it's less than having everyone drive themselves? Craig Denver, Colo. Dearest Craig, Jeepers it was fun to find out the answer to this question for you -- the Math Whiz has joined me in the basement, and we are dorking out on carbon emissions on your behalf. Here ... |
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| Topics: advice, air travel, Ask Umbra, cars, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, travel (all these topics) |
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Directed Buy
On carbon offsets |
Umbra Fisk |
15 Oct 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I've been reading the whole back-and-forth about carbon offsets, and it seems strange to me that most (all?) of the ones I've seen fund projects that, while worthwhile, may or may not result in the promised emissions reduction. It seems that a simple way around this problem would be to buy actual emissions permits from an established carbon market like Europe. Are there any companies or organizations that would allow me to do t ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, carbon offsets, climate, climate change mitigation (all these topics) |
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