Latest Articles

Grading Senate websites reveals a lack of transparency on climate and energy

Grist got to wondering, “Can voters in all 50 states go online and easily find out what a senator thinks about climate change and energy policy?”Photo illustration by Tom Twigg / Grist Listen up, James Inhofe, because this might be the only compliment Grist ever pays you: You’ve got a decent website. Despite your wacked-out […]

National security emphasis could inspire more support for climate bill, says former Sen. John Warner

Former Sen. John WarnerMore senators and citizens might support a climate bill if it emphasized the national security challenges presented by climate change, former Virginia Sen. John Warner (R) argued on Tuesday. At a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Warner joined former high-ranking military personnel and military analysts to stress that climate change […]

Steven Chu and cap-and-snooze on the Daily Show

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart delivered a twofer last night with a bit of cap-and-trade commentary followed by an interview with “Dr. Nobel McGenius” — aka Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Stewart falls asleep out of boredom while trying to explain cap and trade, pretty much nailing what much of the political media seems to […]

Green Bounty: Historic Navajo green jobs legislation

“Oh these nights. My blessed bounty of dreams.” — Luci Tapahonso, Blue Horses Rush In The bounty of green job dreams is one step toward becoming a reality on the Dinetah-Navajo Nation.  Thanks to the indefatigable work of the Navajo Green Economy Coalition and Navajo Nation Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan, among many others, the Navajo […]

Reef Tank blog features ocean news, aquarium advice

If you’re curious about critters that live under the sea, I recommend you check out The Reef Tank. The website started as an information source and community-building tool for aquarists, and to that end, it features product reviews, discussion forums, and even a marine species wiki. But they’ve since realized that people who keep giant […]

Britain’s Labour government places big bet on low-carbon future

The Science Museum is one of London’s best-loved landmarks, largely because generations of children have been taken there by their parents to play with its increasingly sophisticated sets of hands-on gadgets. But it also houses the originals of some of the iconic inventions that made possible Britain’s Industrial Revolution. Lord Mandelson, Britain’s deputy prime minister, […]

Ask Umbra on (gasp) throwing stuff out

Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, About a year ago I made the whole body switch to organic and all-natural shampoos, body lotions, makeup, etc. In an attempt to stop my packrat-like habits, I want to know, what do I do with all of my old chemical-laden bottles and tubes? I can’t bare […]

NAACP resolves to fight climate change

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People celebrated its centennial last week by jumping into the policy debate over global warming. Delegates at the storied civil rights organization’s annual meeting in New York voted to adopt a resolution supporting clean energy development, curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, and policies to foster green collar […]

Wendell Berry on the promise of GMOs to ‘feed the world’

“The inevitable aim of industrial agri-investors is the big universal solution. They want a big product that can be marketed everywhere. And the kind of agriculture we’re talking about that leads to food security and land conservation is locally adapted agriculture. And they can’t do that. Industrial agriculture plants cornfields in Arizona; locally adapted agriculture […]

Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)

Debbie StabenowSen. Debbie Stabenow wants to make sure climate legislation doesn’t hurt her home state’s auto industry. She has called for financial support for emerging industries such as advanced batteries, specifically praising plans for a clean energy revolving loan fund. “Shame on us as a country if we lose the capacity to manufacture this here,” […]