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Don’t Hiatus Because We’re Beautiful

Grist on a Two-Week Publishing Hiatus Astute readers will have noticed our abject failure to say anything even remotely funny in today’s Daily Grist and wondered, “What’s up?” What’s up is, our lil’ staff badly needs some R&R. Luckily, that’s just what we’ll be taking for the next two weeks. We’ll be back — keeping […]

Advice on buying aquarium fish

Dear Umbra, I’m an elementary school teacher and I’d like to get a pet fish for my classroom, but I’ve heard tales of such fish being caught by eco-egregious means: dynamite blasting, cyanide dumping, etc. How can I make sure I’m getting happy, healthy, sustainably caught fish for my aquarium? Ginger Dearest Ginger, Is nothing […]

Un-Cheneyed Melody

Supreme Court Sends Cheney Energy Task Force Case Back to Lower Court In a clear political victory for the White House, today the U.S. Supreme Court set aside a ruling that would have forced Vice President Dick Cheney to turn over all the records from his energy task force. In a 7-2 ruling, the Supremes […]

Jolly Good, Guv’nors

Western Governors Adopt Ambitious Renewable Energy Goals Western governors agreed this week to a resolution calling for development of renewable energy in the region, a plan they hope will stabilize energy costs for consumers and make the region an exporter of energy — nay, the “Saudi Arabia of wind and solar energy,” according to the […]

America’s Next Top Model

New Climate Model Predicts Faster Warming Global warming may be happening faster than previously estimated, with temperatures rising 4.7 degrees instead of 3.6 degrees in the coming century — a seemingly small difference with potentially enormous consequences. This week, the National Center for Atmospheric Research released version three of its Community Climate System Model, created […]

Off With Their Headlights!

France to Impose Green Tax on Big Cars A new green road tax unveiled by the French environment ministry would provide rebates for those who buy small, fuel-efficient cars by taxing buyers of large, gas-guzzling cars and trucks. The scheme would divide vehicles into five categories based on how much they pollute. The middle category […]

Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic?

Toxic Pollutants in U.S. Atmosphere Up by Five Percent (or More) The U.S. EPA reports that the volume of toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere increased by 5 percent in 2002 — only the second increase since 1988, when the EPA started keeping track, and the largest — but according to enviro groups, even that […]

Thai a Yellow Ribbon

Prominent Environmental Activist Killed in Thailand Shortly after testifying before a parliament subcommittee on corruption about attempts by “influential locals” — a common Thai term for corrupt officials and business owners — to build a private resort on public land, prominent Thai environmentalist Charoen Wadaksorn was killed this week by two gunmen on a motorcycle. […]

That’s Owl, Folks

Spotted Owl Remains Threatened Remember the northern spotted owl? Caused a bit of a fuss about a decade ago? According to a comprehensive, federally funded review of the available science, the world’s most studied bird still faces dire threats. While the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan sharply curtailed logging in the old-growth forests that serve as […]

Less Power to ’em

Blackout Had Dramatic Air-Quality Effect Last summer’s power outage in the U.S. Northeast was an economic disaster, but according to researchers it had one happy consequence: The air became, almost overnight, remarkably cleaner. The blackout saw over 100 power plants shut down on August 14. On August 15, 24 hours into the blackout, a group […]