Articles

General public still unaware of what fracking is — much less its impacts

A survey from the University of Texas indicates that nearly two-thirds of Americans aren't familiar with fracking – even as anecdotes about negative effects pile up.

Philip Bump Energy

Ikea won’t tell where it gets its wood — and Congress is about to give it a pass

Particleboard is the furniture equivalent of mystery meat -- and Ikea, which in the past has been a leader in responsible wood sourcing, is helping keep it that way.

Sarah Laskow Culture

Giant water balloon mosaic shows how much water it takes to make a burger

This video from European nonprofit Generation Awake illustrates how much water it takes to produce a burger, by laying down the equivalent amount in water balloons.

Jess Zimmerman Food

Why women’s needs must be part of the conversation at Rio

Increasing women's reproductive freedom is crucial to building a more sustainable world. So why are their needs largely being ignored at the Earth Summit?

Suzanne Ehlers & Michael Brune Culture

Good clean fun: Can green gadgets replace the washing machine?

Grist's green-living pioneer, the Greenie Pig, tries her hand -- literally -- at skipping the resource-guzzling washer and dryer.

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan Culture

Stuffing the ground full of toxic fluid turns out to be a bad idea

A new report from ProPublica estimates the extent to which wastewater wells are leaking across the country – often due to operator error.

Philip Bump Climate & Energy

Newly discovered mushroom is actually a rubber vagina

Well here’s a story that sounds like an urban legend: Villagers in China unearthed a mysterious plant that they thought might be some type of mushroom. It’s described as “fleshy and meaty,” with “something that looks like lips” at one end, and on the other end there’s a hole with a shaft in between and […]

Jess Zimmerman Culture

Colorado Springs probably didn’t need to worry about demand for wind power

The city's small initial contract for wind power is quickly snatched up by consumers.

Philip Bump Buildings

Finally, a good use for drones: Catching poachers

Conservationists are taking a page from the U.S. government in the fight against poaching — they’re sending in the drones. Already in use in Indonesia and soon to be in the air in Nepal, the drones can monitor protected areas where endangered species are hanging out. If they see a poacher, they leap into action. […]

Sarah Laskow Science

Flock of 5,000 ducks stops traffic in city of 6 million people

Taizhou lies 190 miles south of Shanghai and has 6 million people, putting its size at “somewhere in between Los Angeles and New York City” on a U.S. scale and “just some town” on a Chinese one. One day recently, though, the streets were filled not with cars, scooters, or pedestrians, but with ducks. Thousands […]