Articles by Grist staff

Go for Choke

Deliberate forest fires cause choking haze in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia has been suffering through hellish smog over the last few weeks thanks to Indonesian farmers and owners of timber and palm-oil plantations who have set massive fires to clear land. Slash-and-burn practices are illegal in Indonesia, but nonetheless take place every year and rarely […]

Hot Air Act

Canadian Clean Air Act meets icy reception Canada’s newly proposed Clean Air Act — hyped as the centerpiece of the Conservative government’s green agenda — is getting booed right off the stage. The bill sets a far-out goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 45 to 65 percent by 2050, making no mention of the country’s commitment […]

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 […]