Articles by Grist staff

A Stroke of Bad Luck

Lead still bad for you, and at lower levels than previously thought Lead exposure levels long considered safe for adults have been linked to higher death rates from stroke and heart attack, says cheery research in the medical journal Circulation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration suggests that safe blood lead levels for adults are […]

It’s the Environment, Stupid

China’s first-of-its-kind “Green GDP” report finds pollution hampering economy The Chinese government is exploring an innovative way to assess economic growth with a new “green GDP” report, released last month. The report found that air and water pollution cost the nation $64 billion in 2004, equivalent to 3 percent of gross domestic product; it suggests […]

Forgive and Let Live

Debt-for-nature swap will protect rainforests in Guatemala About 20 percent of Guatemala’s debt to the United States will be forgiven in exchange for forest conservation efforts in the Central American nation, officials announced yesterday. It’s the largest debt-for-nature swap carried out under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998, which allows debt owed to the […]

A dispatch from a forward-looking climate conference in Germany

Michael Levitin is a freelance writer based in Germany. Last week, he attended KyotoPlus: Escaping the Climate Trap, an international conference held in Berlin. Monday, 2 Oct 2006 Berlin, Germany Imagine a trans-European “super grid” of renewable energy connecting solar parks in northern Africa to wind farms in Scandinavia. Consider the millions in savings — […]