Latest Articles

As Keystone XL victory looms, a ‘top enviro’ games out how to lose

Some guys just don’t know how to win gracefully.Over at Rolling Stone, Jeff Goodell has a piece gaming out scenarios for the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s worth a read. Just to briefly recap: There was a cut in payroll taxes. It was set to expire at the end of the year, thus raising taxes on […]

Politics blocks scientists from explaining why this year’s weather was record bad

A typical year in the U.S. includes three to four extreme weather events that do more than $1 billion in damage, but 2011 featured 12 of them. Add in the slightly-less-expensive extreme weather we experienced, and the total price tag is north of $50 billion. Scientists say they now have the tools to determine how […]

2012 will probably best record-setting 2011 for gas prices

This year broke all previous records for amount spent by the average American household on gasoline — us car-having suckers spent $4,155! As Jonathan Fahey pointed out in the Associated Press, in an unusually informative and clear-eyed look at the pedestrian impact of the planet's slow-motion oil crunch: "That is 8.4 percent of what the […]

How climate change shows up in ancient, Tolkien-esque myths

The Vernagtferner glacier in the portion of the Alps falling within the borders of Austria is said to be cursed. In ancient legend, it buried the cities Onanä and Dananä, whose ruins lie beneath its implacable mass of ice to this day. Which is all a way, way cooler story than the purely factual “climate […]

New York City to test electric taxis

Within a few months, it will be possible to step out onto a New York City street corner and hail a Nissan Leaf. The city's starting a pilot program to see how the cars fare as taxis, and exploring the possibility of an all-electric fleet. But EV enthusiasts shouldn't get too excited yet. Nor should […]

White planes are more fuel-efficient than flashy planes

The vast majority of people flying home this week in a post-holiday haze will ride in a white plane. After a long history of dolling planes up to stand out, airline executives are opting for white designs, both because it's cheaper and because it's more fuel-efficient (read: cheaper). White paint wears more slowly, so fewer […]

Critical List: Funding for climate research drops; USDA approves drought-resistant corn

The federal budget crisis is turning climate denialism into a vicious cycle: Skepticism contributes to lower funding, which means less research, which means less information, which means more skepticism. The USDA approved a drought-resistant corn, developed by Monsanto. Congress is cutting a federal program that helps low-income people with heating costs by about 25 percent. […]

Ask Umbra: Compost or recycle? Eco-UGGs? Kettle battle? And more

Let Umbra take a little weight off your shoulders.Dearest readers, Some people engage in spring cleaning, but I prefer to do a little winter cleaning. I take down the Gristmahanukwanzakah shrub, put away the nog, and tidy up ye olde inbox to prepare for the almost certain Onslaught of Angst in 2012. During this year’s […]

11 from ’11: The most-clicked Grist stories of the year

Can’t … resist … clicking …Photo: Lindsey TurnerWe’ve had a few year-end lists here at Grist. Here are our choices for top stories of the year, top cities stories of the year, and top food stories of the year. But what about you, the great unwashed masses, surfing the great unwashed interwebs? What are your […]

Vermont’s ‘energy secession’ goal: 90 percent renewables by 2050

Renewable energy could become a standard part of Vermont’s idyllic image.Photo: Sterling CollegeCross-posted from Climate Progress. Vermont is known for its lush Green Mountains, idyllic farm landscapes, and progressive politics. What many people may not realize is that Vermont has a pretty active secessionist movement too. Vermont isn’t likely to secede from the U.S. But […]