Latest Articles

I Am the Toxic Walrus

Arctic Natives, Minding Own Business, Suffer From Our Pollutants Toxic industrial chemicals, carried north by wind, ocean, and river currents, are polluting the traditional diet of native Arctic peoples in Greenland and Arctic Canada. The pollutants, including PCBs and up to 200 other hazardous compounds, are first consumed by zooplankton, then travel up the food […]

Sales Pitched

Forest Service Cancels Timber Sales in Tongass The U.S. Forest Service plans to cancel 20 timber sales in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest — not because it’s dedicated to preserving old growth in the vast rainforest, but because the sales were sure to be money-losers for logging companies. Enviros are feeling vindicated by the development; they […]

Claudio Padua, Institute for Ecological Research

Dr. Claudio Padua is cofounder, with his wife Suzana, of the Institute for Ecological Research (IPE), which works on conservation projects throughout Brazil. Monday, 12 Jan 2004 BANGALORE, India This week will certainly be one of the most important of my professional life. We will be creating, together with other organizations, an alliance of mid-size […]

Oh, Yes! It’s Mr. Bill!

Mr. Bill to Serve as Spokesperson for Louisiana Coastal Campaign With a $14 billion, 30-year restoration plan — potentially the largest public works project in American history — at stake, an educational campaign meant to raise awareness about Louisiana’s eroding coastal marshes has turned to the one voice capable of spanning generations, articulating the scope […]

Endless Summer

Climate Scientists Predict More Hot Summers for Europe Thanks to global warming, summer heat waves like the one that killed close to 20,000 people in Europe in 2003 could recur up to once every two years by the end of the century. So claims a study conducted by a group of scientists from Swiss Federal […]

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Cow

Demand Rises for Organic and Natural Beef What’s bad news for most ranchers may be great news for growers and purveyors of organic and natural-fed beef. In the wake of the discovery of mad cow disease in the U.S., folks who still like to chomp on a nice, juicy steak are increasingly seeking out beef […]

An interview with Interior’s Lynn Scarlett, one of the architects of Bush’s “new environmentalism”

The people who make policy don’t always make headlines. The Bush administration boasts more than a few strong-minded, behind-the-scenes strategists with almost as much influence as cabinet members. Lynn Scarlett is one of them. As assistant secretary of the Department of Interior’s Office of Policy, Management, and Budget, Scarlett helps determine the budgets for all […]

Interior Design

Interior’s Lynn Scarlett Defends Bush’s “New Environmentalism” When it comes to the environment, Lynn Scarlett may be the most influential Bush administration member you’ve never heard of. As an assistant secretary in the Interior Department, charged with analyzing rules and determining budgets throughout the agency, she has significant say over everything from mining to wildlife […]

Death Be Not Toxic

Green Burials Catch on Amongst the Eco-Friendly Set It’s no longer enough to live an eco-friendly life; now, the greenest of the green are planning for their own eco-friendly deaths. A small but growing number of people are seeking out burial in green cemeteries. Ramsey Creek Preserve in Westminster, S.C., is one such spot, a […]

Readers sound off on biodiesel, waterless urinals, jocks, and more

  Re: Put the Pedal to the Mettle Dear Editor: I am currently considering a new car, and was interested to read Jim Motavalli’s recent article in Grist. I was disappointed, however, that in his vehicle summaries, he failed to mention biodiesel as an option for environmentally conscious consumers. Why? Is there something about biodiesel […]