Latest Articles

Crop Circles

A much-anticipated review by the British government of genetically modified (GM) crops has found that they are safe to consume but pose a serious threat to the environment. The 300-page report, produced by a panel of 24 scientists and policy advisors, is by far the most exhaustive study of GM crops to date. To the […]

Contempt of Corps

A federal judge held the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in contempt of court yesterday for failing to lower water levels in the Missouri River to protect endangered species. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the Corps and the secretary of the Army to reduce water levels in the river as part […]

Seasick

Once the fourth largest inland sea in the world, Central Asia’s Aral Sea is drying up rapidly and is likely to all but disappear in as few as 15 years, according to a new study by Moscow’s Shirshov Institute of Oceanology. Since the 1960s, the sea has been depleted by the damming of the main […]

Apply Yourself

Grist Resumes Publishing, Modifies Headlines, Seeks Development Associate Here at Grist, we spend all year slaving away on behalf of Mother Nature, so it’s only appropriate that we take an occasional break to get outside. But never fear; Grist is now back from vacation, tanner and sassier than ever and rarin’ to bring you your […]

Is contaminated housing poisoning military families?

Karen Strand was six in 1958 when her family moved into a house on the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina. It wasn’t until 2000 that she made the connection between her ongoing health problems — a bleeding ulcer at 19, thyroid and parathyroid problems, depression, and cysts and tumors that necessitated a complete […]

You Don’t Need a Weatherman …

In a startling break from its usual dry delivery of statistics and scientific reports, the World Meteorological Organization warned last night that climate change is causing the planet’s weather to rum amok and taking a significant human and economic toll. The organization found that erratic weather induced by global warming is no longer a prediction: […]

Parks Stuck in Neutral

The Bush administration defended itself yesterday against charges of neglecting the national park system, saying it has spent billions to maintain and repair parks around the country. According to U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, $2.9 billion has been spent on a maintenance and repair backlog and 900 related projects have been completed; in addition, she […]

Take It Off. Take It All Off.

Writing about the undoing of Mutha Earth is a barrel of laughs, but even Grist staffers sometimes need a break. We’ll be taking a vacation over the next two weeks. We know you’ll miss your daily fix of green news, but fret not — we’ll be back at work the week of July 21, in […]

Unable Was I Ere I Smelled Elbe

For residents of the town of Libis in the Czech Republic, last year’s terrible floods are more than a bad memory: They are an on-going nightmare. Libis is located not far from the Spolana chemical plant in central Bohemia, which leaked more than 1,100 pounds of toxics into the Elbe River when floodwaters inundated the […]

So Much for the Atkins Diet

Women and girls should reduce their fat intake long before becoming pregnant to protect their fetuses from dangerous dioxins, the Institute of Medicine recommended yesterday. The institute, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, urged the government to educate women about the hazards of dioxins, which can cause health problems ranging from behavioral disorders […]