Articles by Grist staff

The Hole Truth and Nothing But the Truth

Ozone hole biggest, deepest on record This year’s ozone hole is bigger and deeper than any other on record, NASA scientists said yesterday. From Sept. 21 to Sept. 30, the ozone hole sprawled to an average of 10.6 million square miles. That’s pretty big, alright: approximately the surface area of North America plus Argentina. In […]

When the Blights Go Down in the City

List ranks top ten most polluted spots on earth Looking for that perfect vacation getaway, where you and that special someone can recapture the magic by going into acute respiratory distress together? Look no further: The Blacksmith Institute has released a list of the 10 most polluted spots on earth. Chernobyl in Ukraine is the […]

You Can Call Them Algae

Marine “dead zones” on the rise around the world There are now at least 200 oxygen-starved “dead zones” in the world’s seas and oceans, a rise of more than a third over the past two years, the United Nations Environment Program announced yesterday. The algae blooms that suck up oxygen and cause dead zones — […]

The Bees’ Needs

Scientists worry about declining numbers of honeybees and other pollinators Researchers are warning of a significant population decline in species that together pollinate three-quarters of all flowering North American plants, including more than 90 commercial crops. A study released yesterday by the National Research Council indicates a “demonstrably downward” trend in populations of birds, bees, […]