Latest Articles

Hot Enough for Ya?

Earth’s Climate Hits a 2,000-Year High, Study Says If you thought the summer was hot, get a load of this: The Earth has been warmer since 1980 than at any time in the past 2,000 years, according to the most comprehensive study to date of climatic history. The study authors believe their research, published in […]

Real Bad Estate

Bush Administration Lifts Ban on Selling PCB-Tainted Land In yet another behind-the-scenes weakening of environmental rules, the Bush administration last month quietly ended a ban on the sale of land contaminated with PCBs. The 25-year-old ban was designed to prevent polluted sites from being redeveloped in ways that might expose the public to PCBs, which […]

For the Shell of It

Shell Won’t Drill at U.N. World Heritage Sites Royal Dutch/Shell, one of the world’s biggest oil companies, has pledged not to explore or drill for oil or gas on U.N.-designated World Heritage sites. A week before Shell made its announcement, the International Council on Mining and Metals, which represents the world’s 15 largest mining companies, […]

The Fat of the Land

Study Links Obesity to Suburban Sprawl No, it’s not a national thyroid problem: The U.S. obesity epidemic is caused in part by suburban sprawl, according to a study released yesterday by the National Center for Smart Growth. The study, which involved more than 200,000 people in 448 counties, was the first comprehensive examination of the […]

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, New Fish

New Fish Species Discovered in Venezuela In an era of mass extinction, it’s always nice to hear about the discovery of new species. So the members of an expedition sponsored by Conservation International were thrilled to discover 10 new fish species in Venezuela’s Upper Caura River. Of the 10 new species, only one has been […]

Out of State, Not Out of Mind

States, Enviros Move to Sue Over Clean Air Act Changes Within hours after the Bush administration relaxed the federal clean-air rules governing the nation’s power plants, refineries, and other facilities yesterday, environmental organizations and state attorneys general were preparing challenges to the rule change. The Northeast, in particular, was a flurry of legal activity, as […]

Peruvian Gold

Peruvian Natural Gas Project Denied Funding In a blow for two Texas energy companies, a huge Peruvian natural-gas project was denied funding yesterday because of concerns about the likely impact on a marine preserve, a rainforest, and indigenous people in the Amazon Basin. In a 2-to-1 vote, the U.S. Export-Import Bank rejected a bid for […]

Rest Assured

We Gristers will be taking a break on Labor Day, but have no fear — we’ll be back on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Have a swell weekend.

Vehicular Geocide

EPA Declines to Regulate Greenhouse Gases Automakers and oil companies will not be required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, the U.S. EPA announced yesterday. In 1999, three environmental organizations petitioned the agency to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, saying the gases contribute to climate change, which […]

Readers sound off on Kucinich, Roundup, speciesism, and more

  Re: Pigs in Open Space Dear Editor: There is nothing in this article about pigs and your use of the word as an insult to greedy, gluttonous developers is offensively speciesist. I expect Grist to be more sensitive and sensible. Mary Finelli Silver Spring, Md.   Re: ACT Up Dear Editor: Overall the article […]