Grist | Topics | 23 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 23 of 23
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Junk raft journey Homemade garbage barge about to make landfall in Hawaii	Erik Hoffner	25 Aug 2008	Gristmill
Three humans, 15,000 soda bottles, and a Cessna plane body are about to make landfall in Hawaii after an epic 2,000-mile, three-month journey from the west coast to raise awareness about the mind-numbing amount of plastic fouling the world's oceans and wildlife alike. Aching for cold beer and something other than sushi for lunch, these folks have made some pretty interesting observations (including lots of plastic) from their junk-derived craft, and it's all here in the ...
Topics: green living, oceans, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Single stream dream Boulder, Colo. to join other cities in single stream recycling and composting	Erik Hoffner	13 Aug 2008	Gristmill
'Single stream' isn't a euphemism for some new and detrimental Army Corps of Engineers water management program. It's a recycling system being deployed all over the continent in cities like San Francisco, Toronto, Denver, Tucson, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Dallas. Most new recycling facilities are being built with this in mind, and Boulder, Colo. is the newest entrant to the scene thanks in large part to the leadership of grassroots non-profit recycling group Ecocycle. ...
Topics: green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Paint by number Seattle artist illustrates statistics on waste, health, and consumption	Adam Browning	18 Apr 2008	Gristmill
A graphic -- very graphic -- look at the numbers that define America.
Topics: air travel, art, deforestation, e-waste, green living, health, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Garbage, Man On trash bags	Umbra Fisk	26 Mar 2008	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I am attempting to wean myself off plastic bags. I am also aware of the environmental impact of brown paper bags. So we are OK with cloth grocery bags, but can you suggest an alternative that can be used as a trash can liner (that's economical)? Lisa Columbus, Ga. Dearest Lisa, Plastic trash bags ... a Frequently Asked Question that I have never answered. Have I been saving this succulent trash bag question for a special day? No, ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Take the challenge Slim down with the 'Waste Diet'	Kristina & Jason Makansi	05 Feb 2008	Gristmill
There are people who talk about reducing, reusing, and recycling -- and then there's Maren Engelmohr. Engelmohr, a St. Louis architect with an impressive set of green credentials, her husband, and her two children are embarking on a year-long 'waste diet,' and are challenging you (and me) to do the same:The Waste Diet is a campaign to encourage people to reduce their Household landfill waste. Our household is committing ourselves to not sending any wa ...
Topics: green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

'The Story of Stuff' Another reason to procrastinate about my Christmas shopping	Katy Balatero	11 Dec 2007	Gristmill
From the producers of 'The Meatrix' and 'Grocery Store Wars' comes 'The Story of Stuff,' a short video about production and consumption, just in time for the holiday shopping binge. Click here for the full movie (sample clip embedded below).
Topics: business, consumerism, green living, recycling, shopping, waste (all these topics)

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

I'd tap that Water, that is	Sarah van Schagen	03 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Take a few minutes to drink up this NYT editorial on the virtues of tap water. It's one of the most emailed stories on the NYT site, so maybe you've already seen it. This bit is particularly relevant ... Water bottles, like other containers, are made from natural gas and petroleum. The Earth Policy Institute in Washington has estimated that it takes about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make the water bottles Americans use each year. That could fuel 100,000 ...
Topics: food, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Ask a Brokeass: Trade wins At last, a use for that old Milli Vanilli CD	Kate Sheppard	03 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Long ago, I promised an interview component to Ask a Brokeass. I've talked to some badass brokeasses since then, but I haven't gotten around to transcribing all of those interviews. The intern needs an intern. Then last week I received an email from Mark Hexamer, co-founder of the innovative new media trading site Swaptree.com, who saw my posts on the greening of Harry Potter and the virtues of sharing and wanted to talk up his project. What's greener than an eco- ...
Topics: green living, placemaking, recycling, waste, websites (all these topics)

X Games skating toward a smaller footprint And sporting even more green efforts than last year	Sarah van Schagen	02 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Hold on to your long boards, ladies and gentlemen, the Summer X Games is now underway in sunny Los Angeles, Calif. And while I can't say I personally would compete in a sport where one must hurl oneself through the air and then land oneself atop a foot-long piece of wood on wheels, I do applaud the Games' efforts to leave as little a footprint as possible. But these guys aren't just jumping on the green-event bandwagon; they've actually been at this greening thi ...
Topics: green living, recycling, sports, waste (all these topics)

Bangers and Gnash Brits raise a fuss over less-frequent rubbish collection		17 Jul 2007	Daily Grist
Bangers and Gnash Brits raise a fuss over less-frequent rubbish collection Baffled Brits are raising a stink over a policy that's become popular with local councils in their country: collecting trash every two weeks instead of weekly. Enacted by about 40 percent of councils, the practice -- which alternates the pick-up of trash and recyclables -- aims to encourage recycling and meet an E.U. goa ...
Topics: consumerism, England, green living, news, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Bonnaroo crowds (and trash) arrive Look out!	Sarah van Schagen	15 Jun 2007	Gristmill
The masses started arriving yesterday. Gates opened at noon, and 'Roo-goers were ready. At left is the 'before' shot -- the open grassy field (once home to cows and cow pies) that will soon be just a field of dirt covered in dirt-covered people and dirt-covered trash. Unless Clean Vibes has something to do with it, that is. They're the expert trash-picker-uppers I mentioned last year. And if what I saw yesterday is any indication, they're back in full force ...
Topics: Bonnaroo, green living, music, recycling, waste (all these topics)

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

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, ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, recycling, toxics (all these topics)

IBM Me Up, Scotty On computer recycling	Umbra Fisk	08 Aug 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Do you have any suggestions for locating a computer-recycling service in the Piedmont area of North Carolina? Janet Fortune Dearest Janet, Frankly, I couldn't even have located the Piedmont area of North Carolina before you wrote. With today's technology, however, such ignorance is no barrier to giving advice. The rest of you, listen up, because Janet's question will be your question some day. Electronic waste is a big ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, e-waste, green living, North Carolina, recycling, toxics (all these topics)

Ay, There's the Stub On recycling pencil stubs	Umbra Fisk	27 Sep 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I'm looking for a place that accepts pencil stubs (one to two inches long) to recycle into new pencils. I've found recycled pencils online -- made from denim, plastic, recovered wood, and paper currency. But what can I do with my stubs? Phoenix Covington, Ky. Dearest Phoenix, All the waste-reduction tips tell you to stop using wooden pencils, but that doesn't help with the ones you already have. Plus wooden pen ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Girl on Film On recycling videotapes and laser discs	Umbra Fisk	17 Jun 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I'm a dedicated cineaste, and over the last decade I've built up a large library (around 5,000 titles) of classic films on VHS and old-fashioned laser discs. I have been anxious to start adding DVDs to my collection, with all the extra features they offer, but I've held off because I know that any further expansion of my collection will require me to make more space -- i.e., get rid of a bunch of bulky pla ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

Doubt of the Benefit On the benefits of recycling	Umbra Fisk	09 Mar 2004	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Some time ago, the public radio program This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, was about recycling. Glass reported, "Experts agree that we have plenty of landfill space for the foreseeable future." He proposed that recycling therefore did little more than make us feel good. The hapless person he interviewed came up with no better response to that than, "Well, what's wrong with feeling good?&q ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, recycling, solid waste treatment and disposal, waste (all these topics)

Battery FAQ On recycling batteries	Umbra Fisk	28 Oct 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have to humbly admit that for years I've known that one can recycle batteries, but unfortunately, I've never known where or how to do this. I've been living in Seattle and northern Italy for the last year, and I have a pile of old batteries in each place. If you have any insight into how I might go about recycling them in both the U.S. and Europe, I'd so appreciate it! With gratitude, Meg Seattle, Wash., and Ivrea, It ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, Italy, recycling, solid waste treatment and disposal, toxics, waste (all these topics)

Europe Paean		21 Apr 2003	Daily Grist
Europe Paean Major American corporations may be getting off easy on environmental regulations in the U.S. these days, but they're being forced to toe the line in Europe. Rules adopted this year will require all electronics manufacturers doing business in European Union countries to eliminate use of lead, mercury, and other heavy metals from their products, ...
Topics: European Union, globalization, green living, politics, recycling, toxics, United States, waste (all these topics)

Bamboo Ado On wood floors and solid waste	Umbra Fisk	27 Feb 2003	Ask Umbra
Oh Wise Umbra, We'll be replacing our carpeting with wood flooring, probably from one of the major home stores (Home Depot or Lowe's). Are wood floors a really bad environmental choice if they are made from unsustainably harvested wood? Would I be better off going with a (probably petroleum-based) fake wood floor? Also, is there any environmentally responsible way to dispose of my old carpet? If the nice garbage collectors pick ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green building, green living, green products, placemaking, recycling, waste (all these topics)

The Paper Chase On corporate paper recycling	Umbra Fisk	23 Apr 2002	Ask Umbra
I work for a large corporation that is very wasteful with paper. I am looking for information on whom I can complain to about this so that something will happen. They do not use recycled paper or require any recycling of paper. Beth Dearest Beth, Prepare yourself: The fate of reams of office paper is in your hands. You must be the defender of the discarded draft, the champion of the crumpled wad, the protector of the printer ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, business, education, green living, recycling, waste (all these topics)

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