Q. Dear Umbra, How can I get others out of a funk if I am deep in one too? –Sorry, Also Down A. Dear SAD, The pressure you are putting on yourself to be a joy-dispensing pandemic Tinkerbell is deeply ingrained...
Q. Dear Umbra, Every time I feel hopeful about the state of the world, a terrible news story knocks the wind out of my sails. How do you deal with good news/bad news whiplash? — Out Of Focus A. Dear OOF,...
This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. An hour before sundown on December 2, Lilly Ford and her family heard a “strange, low rumble” outside of her home...
It’s been a helluva year — so rather than just reflecting on all that went down in 2020, we’re going back a bit further and seeking comfort via nostalgia. But while revisiting “simpler times” may feel like temporary escapes from current...
Sometimes, in life, we’re presented with impossible choices, and today we all awoke to this one: Would you rather see Justin Bieber cosplaying as a pipeline worker or cosplaying as Drake? On Friday at midnight Eastern time, Justin Bieber released the...
This year has offered no shortage of surprises, but the one that really came out of left field is the trend of famous actors releasing miniseries wherein they learn about climate change. What??? The latest iteration comes from Rainn Wilson —...
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, fossil fuel and plastic industry groups have said that reusable grocery bags and food containers spread the coronavirus. To stay healthy, they’ve encouraged consumers to double down on supposedly safer single-use plastic — things like disposable...
With so much going on in the world right now (pandemic! protest! hurricane season!), it can be easy to forget about something as banal as board games. But obsessively checking Twitter 24/7 can burn out even the most ardent activist, and...
Q. Dear Umbra Should I go visit national parks now that they’re starting to reopen? –So, Can One Undertake Trekking? A. Dear SCOUT, For months, many of us have been fantasizing about the possibility of returning to something resembling pre-pandemic life....
This essay was first published in our semi-weekly newsletter, Climate in the Time of Coronavirus, which you can subscribe to here. Two weeks ago, I finally did it. I played tennis during the coronavirus pandemic. A friend and I headed to...
