by Umbra Fisk
Dearest readers,
Sitting down in the stacks today, I’ve got a lovely
chardonnay on the brain as we amble into the weekend, so I can’t help but
revisit some past alcoholic inquiries. And yes, most of these deal with the
small stuff that I usually tell you not to sweat, but, hey, people ask, I
answer. What eco-friendly beverage will you be cracking open when the clock
strikes 5 p.m. today? Got a great recipe, perhaps involving your own homemade
club soda? Let me know in the
comments below.
Drivin’ N
Buyin’.
Don’t drink and drive, obvs, but also don’t
drive and drink. Cranking up our cars to go buy alcohol is, by far, the worst impact
(on the planet, at least) of our collective drinking problem. Bike to the bar,
walk to the liquor store, pogo stick to the grocer. Whatever you do, try to
skip the gas-guzzler in order to get your own guzzling going. Get the full Ask Umbra
answer.
Shot
through the heart and Jell-O’s to blame.
Ah, the age-old question of how to green
your Jell-O shots. Well, unless you plan to reuse your tiny plastic cups over
and over and over again, opt for little paper ones. Or better yet, pour the
shots into reusable ice cube trays to chill. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.
We’ve got
spirits; yes, we do.
And organic ones at that. Yep, nowadays,
there are awesome options for organic wine, beer, liquor, and bubbly. So you
can get your drink on, knowing that your beverage wasn’t produced using tons of
chemical pesticides and that you’re supporting organic farmers. And rumor has
it that drinking organic can cut down on hangovers. Hmm. You’ll have to test
that one out to be sure. Get the
full Ask Umbra answer.
Put the
lime in the coconut.
Or in your beer bottle, without sweating
how to remove it before recycling. Yes, bottles with little lime wedges inside
can still be recycled; it’ll all get sorted out at the recycling facility.
Looking for a tasty beer to pop that lime into? Check out Tom Philpott’s
organic beer tasting results. Get the full Ask Umbra
answer and video.
Put a
cork in it.
More specifically, a natural cork. When it
comes to a stopper for your wine bottle, cork comes in first place for having
the least impact on the planet, plastic comes in second, and aluminum screw
caps take last place. Plus, you can shred up the cork for mulch or composting. Get the full Ask Umbra
answer.
Lushly,
Umbra
Related Links:
Ask Umbra on shoe polish, socially responsible investing, and Facebook
Putting Wal-Mart’s green moves in context
Garden Girl TV: indoor gardening, part three
