Grist | Topics | 169 Results

RESULTS		Results 76 – 100 of 169
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Message on a Bottle On aluminum bottles	Umbra Fisk	04 Apr 2007	Ask Umbra
Umbra, Are aluminum bottles safer than Nalgene bottles? I'm looking at getting Sigg bottles for my self, wife, and son. Vendor agnostic, are the materials used by aluminum-only vendors safer than those that incorporate Lexan? Chris Webber Seattle, Wash. Dearest Chris, I swear, I pick questions and only then do I notice that yet again I have chosen one from Seattle. It is not a conspiracy. I just wanted a question to go with our r ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, health, toxics (all these topics)

Mrs. Sippy On plastic and kids	Umbra Fisk	02 Apr 2007	Ask Umbra
Hi Umbra, What about "sippy" cups for little kids, not to mention bottles? They're all plastic, and we all know that kids are more vulnerable to environmental toxins. What's a mom to do? Janet Byron Berkeley, Calif. Dearest Janet, A mom is to check the research and purchase only bottles and sippy cups that are not considered health hazards. Umbra is to help the mom do so right now in this very column. Sip sip ... harrumph. Photo ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics)

Healthy cars Also known as bikes	Sarah van Schagen	20 Mar 2007	Gristmill
Is your car safe?I'm not talking seat belts and air bags. Nope, I'm asking about that new-car smell. Take a big whiff, and ask yourself again: Is your car safe? What you smell may be part of a toxic soup of chemicals off-gassing from parts like the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, and seat. These chemicals can include bromine, chlorine, lead, and other toxins that contribute to a litany of health problems ranging from decreased fertility to liver, kidney, th ...
Topics: cars, green living, health, toxics (all these topics)

Levels of Risk On chlorine	Umbra Fisk	12 Mar 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, So I've been buying unbleached diapers for my baby, using chlorine-free laundry and dish soaps and non-chlorine bleached paper, and generally thinking that's better for me and the environment. Then I go swimming in a chlorinated pool twice a week, sometimes with my kids! Is there a difference in the type of chlorine exposure? Is swimming a health risk? It certainly bothers my nose (I think I'll start using some nose plugs). Can you ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics)

Cleaning House On disposing of toxic chemicals	Umbra Fisk	05 Mar 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Now that I've caught the environmental bug, I don't know what to do with the toxic cleaning products (e.g., Ajax) that I have on hand. As a bulk buyer, I've got 5 to 6 bottles in my garage. Is it better to use them up, throw them away, or just have them stay put in my garage? Jill Miller Pleasanton, Calif. Dearest Jill, Do not leave them in your garage! Home storage of unused toxics inevitably leads to irksome ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green cleaning, green living, toxics (all these topics)

Meany in a Bottle Baby bottles found to leak chemicals, California may ban them		01 Mar 2007	Daily Grist
Meany in a Bottle Baby bottles found to leak chemicals, California may ban them Most parents discourage their kiddos from ingesting known toxics, so a new study from green group Environment California is a bit of a bummer: when run through a simulated dishwasher 50 to 75 times, name-brand baby bottles leach the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, in levels that have caused reproductive abno ...
Topics: California, green living, health, news, parenting, politics, toxics (all these topics)

What not to buy for Christmas Watch out for scary chemicals in plastic toys for tots	Lisa Hymas	13 Dec 2006	Gristmill
Umbra offered up a number of clever gift ideas for kids in her latest column, focusing particularly on experiences rather than things. But if you still want to do some thing-giving for those wee ones, you might first want to check out 'What's Toxic In Toyland,' an article by Margot Roosevelt in Time. San Francisco has just banned some plastic toys aimed at kids under three. The prime targets -- bisphenol A and phthalates -- have been found in everything from rubber duckie ...
Topics: San Francisco, parenting, health, toxics, green living (all these topics)

Mother Knows Best Fed up with breast-milk contamination, mothers form a national activist group	Gregory Dicum	06 Nov 2006	Main Dish
Mary Brune looked worried. "I don't know what the problem is," she said, peering at the generator in the grass. Attached to it was a blower that was, in turn, attached to a puddle of yellow nylon. The next morning, that puddle was supposed to inflate to become a giant rubber ducky, the centerpiece of a protest Brune was leading at a Target store near her home in ...
Topics: grassroots activism, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics)

Waxing Philosophical On dripless candles	Umbra Fisk	01 Nov 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, My family is a big fan of dripless candles. They're beautiful and don't provide piles of wax that tempt fingers into creating little messes. Can you tell us how these candles work and if they are environmentally "safe"? Anna Ruth New York, N.Y. Dearest Anna, For me, playing with melted wax was a cherished childhood tradition -- right up there with daring to slice through the flame with my finger. But like s ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, toxics (all these topics)

You Down With PVC? On PVC substitutes	Umbra Fisk	25 Oct 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I know to avoid PVC, but it's difficult to know all the places it lurks. Is all vinyl PVC, or are there PVC-free vinyls? What options are there for waterproof but PVC-free materials (I have children who wet the bed and spill, and I would like to protect my mattresses and wood table)? I have tried asking merchants whether certain products contain PVC, but they are clueless. Why can't PVC be clearly marked? And are there a ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics)

License Plates Never Looked So Good Inmates exposed to toxins in e-waste recycling program, says report		23 Oct 2006	Daily Grist
License Plates Never Looked So Good Inmates exposed to toxins in e-waste recycling program, says report A federal recycling program that uses cheap prison labor to recycle computers and other electronics exposes inmates to unsafe conditions, says a report released by activist and environmental groups last week. Prisoners paid from 23 cents to $1.15 an hour by government-owned Federal Prison Industries, Inc., also kno ...
Topics: green living, news, recycling, toxics (all these topics)

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

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, fashion, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics)

Rubber duckie, you're the one ... Polluting my bathroom	Gregory Dicum	11 Oct 2006	Gristmill
You know that little rubber duckie in your bathroom? I always thought the little fella was sorta cute, nestled there between the shampoo and the loofa. Well, it turns out the little ducky's not so rubber after all -- it's plastic, namely the dreaded PVC. And it further turns out the bathroom is full of the stuff. Today, the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice is launching a campaign to get Target to remove PVC from their stores. The background is, Target (ap ...
Topics: green living, health, toxics (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics)

Another Nail Polish in the Coffin Many nail polishes contain shady ingredients		07 Aug 2006	Daily Grist
Another Nail Polish in the Coffin Many nail polishes contain shady ingredients A question for all you women, girls, drag queens, trannies, metrosexuals, goths, punks, and so on: have you ever wondered what's in that nail polish? If you're in the U.S., one ingredient is likely the nefarious dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, which has been linked to cancer in lab critters and to underdeveloped genitals and other fertility problems in new ...
Topics: green living, news, toxics (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)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, toxics (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, mercury, toxics (all these topics)

Deck Mate On building a deck	Umbra Fisk	15 May 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, It's spring, my house turns 100 years old this year, and I would like to celebrate by adding a deck. But what type of building materials should I choose? Wood, plastic, or composite? In my market there is no ready supply of FSC-certified wood -- I would have to have it milled and shipped in from across the state. Besides, is that really better when you have to treat it every year? What about the new types of pressure-treated wood ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, toxics (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, parenting, toxics (all these topics)

A House Divided An interactive illustration of how the other half lives	Keri Rosebraugh	01 Mar 2006	Main Dish
Click on the image to see a full-size version. The wrong side of the tracks: we often talk about a figurative gulf between rich and poor in the United States, but as this phrase suggests, there is also a literal chasm between the classes. If you live in poverty in this country, odds are you live in the "bad" parts of town -- the parts that are dirtier, more dangerous, harder to acc ...
Topics: environmental justice, green living, Poverty and the Environment, toxics (all these topics)

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

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

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

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