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Bad Crops, Bad Crops, Whatcha Gonna Do?

International Battle Over GM Food Continues In other genetic modification news, skirmishes over the safety and labeling of GM foods are erupting this week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as delegates from around the world convene to discuss the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The U.N. accord, which went into force last September, governs cross-border trade in […]

Readers sound off on diapers, Dennis Kucinich, and more

  Cut from Different Cloth Re: Kid Commando Dear Editor: I usually love your magazine, but I was disappointed by your column on diapering options. I think it’s great that you educated people about “elimination communication,” but this is a challenging technique, as you described, so not many parents are likely to be willing or […]

A solar entrepreneur answers questions

What environmental organization are you affiliated with? What does it do? Greenstar. We invest in solar-powered community centers for small villages in the developing world — currently in the West Bank, Jamaica, India, Ghana, Brazil, and Tibet. The community center provides basic electricity and a connection to the world through the Internet, which enables the […]

To Your Health!

Science Panel Okays Pesticide Testing on Humans A National Academy of Sciences panel said yesterday that testing of pesticides and other toxic chemicals on human subjects — including, in appropriate circumstances, children — is ethical as long as such tests meet stringent safety and scientific standards. The decision came as a surprise to environmental groups, […]

Corn to Be Wild

U.K. to Approve Planting of GM Corn The British government is set to give the go-ahead for genetically modified corn to be grown in the nation, according to documents leaked yesterday from a meeting of top government officials. A formal announcement is expected next week, though the government maintains that no final decision has been […]

Yucca Will Leaka

Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Dump Beset With Problems The perpetually beleaguered nuclear waste dump being constructed at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain is coming under fire again, from several directions. Yesterday, Paul Craig, who recently resigned from the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board to make his concerns public, stated flatly that the Department of Energy’s current design […]

To Leach His Own

Nalgene Water Bottles May Be Hazardous to Your Health Here’s some bummer news for the outdoorsy set: Recent studies have shown that polycarbonate plastics, including the kind used in popular Nalgene water bottles, may leach one of their constituent chemicals into water. The chemical in question, bisphenol-A, has been shown to cause chromosomal disorders and […]

SoCal environmental scientist answers questions

What environmental organization are you affiliated with? What does it do? The Southwest Center for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) is a consortium of universities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border that cares about the environment, ecology, and people of that region. What’s your job title? I am the managing director. What do you […]

Bleeding Between the Lines

Longline Fishing Takes Heavy Toll on Turtles Yesterday we wrote about longline fishing wiping out large numbers of albatrosses; today, there’s news that the fishing technique is messing with another charismatic critter — the sea turtle. “In the year 2000, longline fishermen from 40 nations set at least 1.4 billion hooks on longlines that average […]

We’re Outta Here

In honor of dearly departed George Washington and Abe Lincoln, the Grist staff will be taking a little break on Monday. But don’t worry your pretty little heads — we’ll be back at our green news-gathering on Tuesday. Happy Presidents’ Day!