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Latest Articles

  • Climate skeptics lose even more credibility

    The first half of 2007 is the warmest Jan-June period on record, +0.79°C above the long-term average (from NASA GISS data, via QuarkSoup.net).

    For those who question the consensus on climate change, see the collection of proconsensus statements at Logical Science (hat tip: Michael Tobis). Just recently, my department (the Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University) unanimously adopted a statement endorsing the primary conclusions of the IPCC reports. See the statement here.

    In the scientific community, virtually no one believes that solar variations are the dominant driver of climate over the last few decades. However, among skeptics, this has been one of the last remaining shreds of hope for a non-human cause of climate change. New research, however, validates the doubt of the scientific community:

    Writing in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, a journal of Britain's de-facto academy of sciences, the team said that the Sun had been less active since 1985, even though global temperatures have continued to rise.

    "Over the past 20 years, all the trends in the Sun that could have had an influence on the Earth's climate have been in the opposite direction to that required to explain the observed rise in global mean temperatures," they write.

    Andrew Dessler Climate & Energy

  • Tracking the nation’s most brilliant up-and-coming health researchers

    What’s that you say? Some vaginal spermicides may ease transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV)? Why, what kind of brilliant post doc researcher uncovered that counterintuitive and potentially industry-shaking result? Must have been one smart fella.

    David Roberts Uncategorized

  • The great biologist offers thoughts both hopeful and harrowing

    In a great interview with Bill Moyers, Wilson talks about his new Encyclopedia of Life project, and what it will take to spark a new green revolution. "We desperately need leadership," he says.

    Maywa Montenegro Culture

  • Think They’ll A-Peel?

    Latin American banana farmers sue U.S. companies over pesticides A pesticide designed to eradicate worms from Latin American banana trees may have had a detrimental effect on workers’ … oh, how to put it … bananas. At least 5,000 agricultural laborers from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama have filed five lawsuits in the […]

    Grist staff Food

  • It’s Not the Sun

    Sun is not causing current global warming, researchers confirm Attention all ye who think the sun might be a primary cause of climate change, and all ye who know someone who thinks that: No. It’s not the sun. Researchers have published a study of the last century of solar activity, finding that the sun’s output […]

    Grist staff Climate & Energy

  • Frankly, Madeira, We Don’t Want a Dam

    Brazil gives go-ahead to controversial dams in Amazon Brazil has given the preliminary OK for two hydroelectric dams to be built on a major Amazon River tributary. Business leaders, who say the dams will provide much-needed energy, are impressed; greens, who see the project as a disaster waiting to happen, are depressed. Proponents say the […]

    Grist staff Climate & Energy

  • Crist Almighty

    Florida governor to enact big energy and emission plans What’s the greenest state in the U.S.? By Friday, it could be Florida. Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is hosting a two-day climate summit in Miami, and will wrap up the event by signing three sweeping eco-executive orders. His plans include adopting California’s strict vehicle-emissions law, making […]

    Grist staff Climate & Energy

  • More green musicians

    We’ve gotten tons of emails from people who are all like “Why didn’t my fav band make your ‘15 Green Musicians and Bands‘ list, yo?” Most of them are just sorta self-righteous and annoying. But today we got one from the good folks over on Spinner.com that pointed to their own list on the subject, […]

    Kate Sheppard Culture

  • The cuddly polar bear’s not so cuddly anymore

    It’s not you, Knut. It’s him. Zookeeper Thomas Doerflein, that is. The human companion to the polar bear “cub” (he’s now 110 pounds!) has decided Knut is getting too big and boisterous for their daily play sessions. Doerflein has said he “feels ‘burnt out’ after months of frolicking with Knut.” (Um, is that possible?) Also, […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Make a short eco-video about climate change and you could win a Toyota hybrid

    Are you a creative type with a hankering for 15 minutes of fame? Would you settle for 15 seconds? Enter this new eco-video contest and you could win public acclaim -- and a Toyota hybrid. Cameron tells you how:

    (Having trouble viewing the video? Download the latest version of Flash.)

    Grist staff Culture