Climate Culture
All Stories
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Umbra on the most effective personal eco-actions
Dear Umbra, A lot of the questions people ask you ultimately involve pretty negligible results. When you are talking about the balance sheet of the world, does it really matter […]
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At 70, Wendell Berry remains a champion of agrarian ideals
Wendell Berry, right at home. Wendell Berry, 70 years old today, has established himself as many things in his lifetime: a veteran sage of sustainable agriculture; a progressive defender of […]
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Umbra on plastic water bottles
Several readers have sent in questions about the dangers of chemical leaching from plastic bottles. A composite version: Dear Umbra, I’ve read some conflicting things about the risks associated with […]
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Umbra on whole-house fans and their righteousness
Dear Umbra, We just moved to the steamy climate of Washington, D.C., from the other Washington. Faced with our first experience using air-conditioning to cool our home, we’ve got some […]
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Umbra on opening windows versus running the AC
Dear Umbra, My friend and I have been having a debate that I hope you can help us settle. What is the rule of thumb when turning off the air […]
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Umbra on swamp coolers and their coolness
Dear Umbra, I recently visited Moab, Utah, and found that many people there use “swamp coolers” rather than conventional air-conditioning systems. Moab is in a near-desert environment and has frequent […]
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Umbra on keeping cool without selling out
Dear Umbra, Please advise me on the best way to beat the summer heat! I live in a rather steamy studio apartment and thus far have been languishing under fans […]
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Umbra on when to retire a fridge
Dear Umbra, I love to freeze fresh veggies at their peak of ripeness during the summer. Then, in the winter, I don’t have to buy commercially frozen veggies or long-distance […]
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Advice on natural fabrics vs. polyester
Dear Umbra, I’ve never appreciated human-made fabrics — polyester and its cousins invariably feel less comfortable to me than cotton or wool. Until recently, I thought this personal preference also […]
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An abandoned Brooklyn warehouse heralds the onset of hipster environmentalism
Thinking outside the loft. Catch the aboveground S train in Brooklyn and you’ll whiz through the neighborhood of Crown Heights, an industrial pocket of warehouses and factories that once stored […]
