Utne Magazine

Utne magazine is bar none, hands down the best magazine around. It is a progressive independent magazine that gathers articles, stories, editorials, and more from a variety of independent media sources around the country and reprints them. It truly is THE magazine to read if you don't have time to read anything else. What I love most about Utne is it's variety of content. Each issue does have a general topic theme, but each topic is highly unique. While there are some re-0ccuring themes throughout all issues, such as environmentalism, political advocacy, and grass-roots activism, the variety of coverage relating to each topic ensures the reader will never get bored. I've been reading Utne for two years and still eagerly await the delivery of each upcoming issue. Go to www.utne.com.

Utne's latest issue has an article about the current state of the public library. The author argues that libraries are becoming more of an entertainment source with electronic (and sometimes unreliable) sources rather than an archive of knowledge and hard-copy documents. Libraries are at odds with the internet - arguably the "library" of the new century, where someone can google any topic they wish in the comfort of their own home. Libraries are no longer seen as essential sources of free information. The author of the article states that libraries are "a temple to the anti-elitist notion that knowledge should be cheap, if not free." Moreover, public libraries need more support than ever before. Go to www.ala.org for more information.

One redeeming fact, however: there are still more public libraries in the U.S. than there are McDonald's restaurants.

Another great article in Utne's current issue is entitled "Fly the Guilt-Free Skies." The article discusses the air travel industry's contribution to pollution and global warming. Carbon dioxide makes up a large amout of airplane emissions, with several tons of pollution being emitted for each flight. Several organizations work to off-set the carbon emission produced from air travel by planting trees (which absorb carbon dioxide.) Per acre, trees can absorb about five tons of greenhouse gases each year. Future Forests (www.futureforests.org) has an online calculator that allows you to calculate exactly how much carbon dioxide your air flight will produce, and how many trees are needed to absorb the emissions. Pay a small fee per tree, and Future Forests will plant those trees for you, thereby erasing your carbon debt and helping your karma as well. :)

Fun fact: Ernest Hemingway was once asked to write a story in six words. What he came up with? ..... "For sale: baby shoes, never used." It is rumored that Hemingway considered this as his greatest work.