Articles by Grist staff

A Lawn Time Coming

EPA may implement California small-motor standards across U.S. The U.S. EPA indicated yesterday that it was leaning toward approving California’s proposal to require catalytic converters on small motors like those in weed whackers and lawn mowers, eliminating the equivalent of emissions from 800,000 cars. Even better, the agency suggested it may implement the high standards […]

A Bitter Drill

House votes to end moratorium on offshore drilling The House voted yesterday to end the 25-year-old ban on oil and gas drilling off most of the U.S. coast. The highly contentious debate broke down more along geographic lines than partisan ones, as states standing to make money from the drilling largely supported it. Under the […]

Two Steps Back

Ford backs out on hybrid pledge, plans more alt-fuel vehicles Remember Ford’s much-hyped commitment to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles by 2010? Er, about that: CEO Bill Ford Jr. backpedaled on the promise Wednesday. While not abandoning hybrids altogether, he said Ford’s focus (ha) is shifting (ha ha) to cars that can run on alternative fuels […]

Well Aisle Be

Whole Foods unveils initiatives to boost local and compassionate farming Whole Foods Market, the fast-growing natural-foods purveyor, has announced a series of initiatives that would support small, local farms and improve treatment of animals. In an open letter to food writer Michael Pollan, who has criticized Whole Foods for relying on “industrial organic” farms, CEO […]