Latest Articles

Lexicon of Sustainability: Biodiversity vs. monoculture

Grist is beginning a Lexicon of Sustainability weekly series. Check out these artistically altered images from around the sustainable food world.

Honeybee problem nearing a ‘critical point’

Beekeepers from around the country met to talk about the state of the industry, while new information strengthens the case for the role of pesticides in bees' decline.

Kicked to the curb: What my kid (and YouTube) taught me about garbage

Next time you're looking for idle entertainment, check out the garbage truck meme on YouTube. You'll be truly amazed at what Americans throw away.

Chamber of Commerce pushes civilization-ending pollution agenda

In his annual address today, Tom Donohue, Chamber of Commerce president, advocated burning hundreds of billions of tons of fossil fuels.

NPR has lots of ideas for what to do with Twinkies

The staff at NPR has been responding to the news of Hostess' bankruptcy by getting up to some Twinkie shenanigans. Forget that James O'Keefe stunt, this is NPR's real shame. (But seriously, how do we get in on this action? Call me!) First, Science Desk tried seeing if one would dissolve in Mountain Dew. (Verdict: […]

The little county that could get California to rethink methyl iodide

Could Monterey County influence the statewide discussion about this toxic fumigant before it goes into large-scale use? Some advocates are counting on it.

Let’s make fun of Rick Santorum talking about climate change

Is it getting boring to make fun of Rick Santorum? I don't really care, because frankly the dude is both a menace and an ignoramus and that is comedy gold even if he didn't look like the love child of Ryan Reynolds and a turtle. (Yes, I recycled that joke, but it's TRUE.) It's all very well to talk about frothy mixtures and whatnot, but opportunities to mock Santorum go well beyond his Google problem. Although seriously, does anyone else feel sort of dirty when they type his name, like they should be writing "Sant*rum" or something?

Anyway, Treehugger found a doozy of a quote from Sir Mixture-a-lot about global warming. Let's mock it! (Note to Rick and adherents: We are not in the "then they laugh at you" stage of Gandhi's, or whoever's, hierarchy. We are just laughing at you.)

Teeniest frog ever

Scientists thought they had found the world's smallest frog just a month ago, when a researcher announced he'd found coin-sized amphibians in New Guinea. But psych! Those weren't the smallest frogs. This is the smallest frog. In fact it's the smallest vertebrate known to man.

Koch fiends: AFP’s favorite members of Congress

Americans for Prosperity gave five senators and 39 representatives perfect scores for their votes to uphold the Koch agenda in Congress.

Go ahead, eat McDonald’s. Nobody will ever know

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.1010447&w=425&h=350&fv=] I’m told, by people with less finicky stomachs, that sometimes even the most well-intentioned foodies and factory-farm opponents really jones for an Egg McMuffin. If you can’t resist the occasional splurge — maybe it’s been a late and smokey night at college, if you know what I mean — then at least you […]