Author: Umbra Fisk, Grist.org

Dearest readers,

Sometimes when I’m down in the stacks researching answers to
your latest dilemmas, I enjoy taking a stroll down Ask Umbra archives lane.

Here
are some sparkly tidbits I culled from my past advice on lessening your impact on
that sweet little romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day. Have any of your own
sustainable loving tips or stories? Let me know in the comments section below
or shoot me an email.

Break up
with your blow-up doll
And that jelly vibrator, while you’re at it.
Lots of popular sex toys are made of PVC—a fancy name for vinyl (no
vinyl, that’s final)—or with plastic-softening, hormone-disrupting phthalates.
Heat and agitation from use can cause toxins to leach from the toys—not hot. Get the
full Ask Umbra answer.

Pull the
e-card
About a billion Valentine’s Day cards are
sent globally each year. Don’t let your Valentine greeting be just another
number: Save some paper (and a few bucks) by sending your snookums a well-selected e-card instead. Get the
full Ask Umbra answer.

Channel
Martha Stewart
Eschew conventional consumption, and get a
little crafty for your Valentine. Put together some memorable photos, write a
poem, or bake a tasty vegan
chocolate cake. Get the
full Ask Umbra answer.

Sweeten the
deal
If traditional is your middle name, then your
parents were a little odd, no? Anyway, perhaps you’re inclined to give a more
classic V Day gift like chocolate. Because of issues like child labor, low
wages, pesticide use, and deforestation, pay careful attention when picking
sweets for your sweetie. Look for chocolate that’s both fair-trade and organic.
Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Turn on
the green light in the bedroom
Set the mood in your boudoir with
sustainable hemp sheets,
dimmed lighting, organic
massage oils, and vegan condoms. Then pop in a steamy movie—An Inconvenient Truth, perhaps?—and let
the magic begin. Get the full
Ask Umbra answer.

Lovingly,
Umbra

Related Links:

• Ask Umbra on engagement rings, straws, and napkins
• Ask Umbra’s video advice on making your own club soda
• Ask Umbra on sustainable manufacturing jobs, sexless fish, and matches

Dearest readers,

Sometimes when I’m down in the stacks researching answers to
your latest dilemmas, I enjoy taking a stroll down Ask Umbra archives lane. Here
are some shiny tidbits I culled from my past advice on making the most of
renting a small urban abode.

Have any of your own sustainable apartment living tips
or stories? Let me know in the comments section below or shoot me an email.

Go with
the low-flow
Even if your landlord isn’t up for
investing in low-flow toilets, you can still adapt your toilet to reduce the
amount of water used when flushing by putting a device in the tank to displace
some of the water (something as simple as a milk jug filled with pebbles) or
investing a few bucks in a toilet
fill cycle diverter or an adaptor like the Frugal
Flush Flapper. Get the full
Ask Umbra answer.

Veg out
at home
No need for a yard—shrink your food’s
carbon footprint by growing some of your own in a small window garden (you can make one yourself with items from a local
hardware store). Peppers, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and basil, for example, can
all flourish in the confines of an indoor garden. Get
the full Ask Umbra answer.

Compost
with the most
Put some red wigglers to work on your food
scraps with a worm bin, a good option for composting in a snug, yard-free
living situation. You can buy ready-made bins, or if you’re feeling in the mood
for some DIY, check out Seattle Tilth’s Worm
Bin Plans. Get
the full Ask Umbra answer.

Run low
on energy
As a renter, you don’t get to make the
long-term, expensive investments toward better energy efficiency, but some
simple modifications can reduce your bill. Run your dishwasher only when full,
and skip the “heated dry” option. And opt for an ample comforter on your bed,
so the thermostat can be turned down as low as possible at night. Get the full Ask Umbra
answer.

Get pests
to bug off naturally
Take a pesticide-free approach to unwelcome
cockroaches with catnip, a natural repellent, or a simple trap with beer or
bread as bait in a wide-mouth glass jar. If you’re not opposed to offing the
roaches, boric acid and silica gel are two nontoxic solutions. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.

Rentally,
Umbra

Related Links:

• Turning down the heat caused by meat with Peter Singer
• Ask Umbra on toilet paper, dryer balls, and Twitter
• Tales from a D.C. school kitchen: How food service turns a green school into an enviro hog