Articles by Grist staff

Ooh, That Fiddle Sounds Pretty

G8 leaders dither on energy issues The G8 industrial nations met in St. Petersburg this weekend, focusing on energy security. They agreed to … nothing. Said the group statement: “We recognize that G8 members pursue different ways to achieve energy security and the goals of climate protection.” You could say that. The U.S. and U.K. […]

In Goodell Company

A conversation with Jeff Goodell, author of Big Coal Lots of folks think of coal as an outmoded relic of our past, like steam locomotives and petticoats. But journalist Jeff Goodell — author of Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future — has got news for you: Not only is coal alive and […]

Varmint Cong

Organic farmers in Colorado ask state to blast rodents out of their holes They say life imitates art, but until now, life had stubbornly refused to imitate Caddyshack. Behold! Organic farmers in Colorado have asked the state Division of Wildlife to look into controlling prairie dogs and other burrowing critters by … blowing them up. […]

Lawn Gone

Homeowners rethink their water-sucking lawns A “delawning” movement is sprouting up around the U.S., as a handful of homeowners switch from resource-intensive grassy green expanses to drought-tolerant, native, and/or edible gardens. “It’s about shifting ideas of what’s beautiful,” says Fritz Haeg, an L.A. architect whose Edible Estates project transforms front yards into fruit and vegetable […]