Articles by Grist staff

Range of Notion

Grass banks aim to protect prairies and help ranchers Hoping to preserve both the prairie and the livelihoods of ranchers, green groups like The Nature Conservancy have created “grass banks” by buying up land and allowing ranchers to graze there for cheap. In exchange, ranchers agree to conserve habitat on their own land for ferrets, […]

Aw, Shucks

Ethanol ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, new study says A new study casts serious doubt on ethanol’s status as a green wonder-fuel. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers lay out a series of grim findings about corn-based biofuel. Runoff from large-scale corn cultivation contaminates waterways with nitrogen, phosphorus, and […]

Blake Mycoskie, founder of eco-friendly driving school, answers questions

Blake Mycoskie. What’s your job title? I’m cofounder and chair of Drivers Ed Direct. How does your work relate to the environment? Photo: Drivers Ed Direct. We teach kids to drive in hybrids, which makes them more comfortable with the technology and educates them about environmental responsibility. We believe this makes them more likely to […]

Outstripped

Demand for organics outpacing local supply With demand for organic food soaring in the U.S. and U.K., manufacturers of organic products are struggling to find adequate supplies of organic ingredients and are increasingly looking and buying abroad. While exporters like Australia welcome the trend, it creates a dilemma for many organic enthusiasts, who also tend […]