Umbra Fisk

Ask Umbra: Eat a baby orange, kill a baby seal?

grist.org — Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, So it's lovely that this time of year you can get little baby oranges in abundance, but you know those mesh nets they come in? They look dangerous. Are they killing sea critters? Should I cut every little piece apart before I throw it away like you should soda can rings?

Ask Umbra: What will it take to change the world?

grist.org — Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, Why all the focus on green liberalism? We all know that if everybody dimmed their lights for 20 minutes every day all the whales would sing and dance, but ... everybody isn't going to do that.

Ask Umbra: How to preserve green news

grist.org — Shutterstock / Grist Dearest readers, This week, I write to you for help. We have less than 24 hours to dispatch a despicable plot. Consider donating as little as $5 to help us reach our goal and keep Grist's green news flowing freely.

Ask Umbra: Reused any good movies lately?

grist.org — Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I work in a film-related business in Los Angeles, and we have lots of old tape and film materials to dispose of. We recycle what we can, but much of this material cannot be recycled.

Donate to Grist

services.grist.org — Donate to Grist. Your donation will go straight to supporting Grist's nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.

This year, make it a DIY Christmas

grist.org — Shutterstock This holiday season, talk of having a "minimalist Christmas" or participating in Buy Nothing Christmas seems to be all over the place (maybe it's the economy? An attempted Scrooge coup?). And I'm happy to report that my family continues to be on-trend.

Ask Umbra: Are wrinkle-free shirts treated with toxic chemicals?

grist.org — Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, My husband often wears shirts that are non-iron. Do you know if the chemicals that are used in these shirts are toxic or carcinogenic? Anne B. Cambridge, Mass. Shutterstock A. Dearest Anne, While your husband might be natty, his shirts are rather naughty.

Ask Umbra: Should I trash my old tree lights?

grist.org — Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I want to upgrade to new, more efficient LED Christmas lights, but what do I do with my old lights? It seems wrong to just trash them. Lightly, Maxwell E. Bismarck, N.D. Shutterstock A. Dearest Maxwell, Do not throw your old lights away!