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The top green stories of 2007

Wow. That was something else. Green has gone from “dead” to ubiquitous in just a few short years, and it peaked with the crazy buzz of 2007, which kept us Gristies busy as bees — ironically without the actual bees (see No. 15). Here you’ll find our selection of the year’s top 15 stories, biased […]

Top green celeb stories of 2007

Here are the Official Top Green Celeb Stories of 2007, listed in very particular order and determined via a very scientific process (a combination of my memory and Grist’s archives): 5. Brad Pitt adopts Maddox Pax Thien Zahara New Orleans. 4. Leo DiCaprio releases 11th Hour, which sinks into obscurity faster than the Titanic. 3. […]

The depth of the Mississippi River’s influence, in numbers

Fifty-eight semi-truck trailer loads traveling over 9 feet of water. Photo: Sarah van Schagen   10 — states that border the Mississippi River 31 — states drained by the Mississippi River watershed 1 2 — Canadian provinces drained by the Mississippi River watershed 1 50 — cities that rely on the river for their water […]

The riverfront in Memphis needs help — but what kind?

May God bless Memphis, the noblest city on the face of the earth. — Mark Twain To visit Memphis, Tenn., is to visit a place that is slowly waking from a decades-long stupor. The things that define this city in the popular imagination — the glamorous life of Elvis Presley, the shocking assassination of Martin […]

St. Louisans turn a working river into a river that works for them

“The fifth night we passed St. Louis, and it was like the whole world lit up.” — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn As the sun rises over the city of St. Louis, an arch-shaped shadow moves eastward over the city’s bustling downtown and toward the Mississippi River, where it will leave its invisible […]

Why “the end of cheap food” isn’t automatically a good thing

A decade ago, a barrel of oil fetched little more than $10. While the bargain-priced oil gushed, SUVs roared out of dealer lots and carbon emissions rose steadily. To a lot of people concerned about climate change, the time seemed ripe for a steep jump in oil prices. We’re in for some roughage. Photo: iStockphoto […]

Tory leader David Cameron lauds “green coal”

British Conservative Party leader David Cameron said in a speech today that under a Tory government, Britain would be a world leader in “green coal” technology. Ahem: Coal. Is. Not. Green. That is all.

An Iowa river town develops a real relationship with the Mississippi

“The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart.” — Tanaka Shozo Arriving in Dubuque, Iowa, is a bit disorienting. After passing acres and acres of the heartland’s flat soybean and cornfields, you suddenly come upon a small city (pop. 60,000) with a surprising landscape. Gazing east to west, […]

U.S. will be warmer than normal in early 2008, says weather service

The drought in the southeastern U.S. will keep on keepin’ on at least through March, according to a 90-day outlook from the National Weather Service. In fact, the agency predicts above-normal temperatures for most of the U.S. from January to March, thanks to La Niña and “recent trends.” Ooh, mysterious.

Waxman investigates

Per his threat yesterday, House Oversight Committee chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has initiated an investigation into the EPA’s decision to deny California’s waiver.