Articles by Grist staff

A chat with freshwater experts Peter Gleick and William K. Reilly

The world’s freshwater systems are in crisis, beset by everything from global warming to population growth to corruption. Though it doesn’t get the media attention that’s lavished on energy issues, many experts predict that water will be the central resource issue of the coming century. Water, they say, is the new oil. To the last […]

Another Fine Mess

GAO says EPA is sloppy and plagued with management problems Well, here’s a shocker: the U.S. EPA is inconsistent in its environmental enforcement and keeps sloppy records. That’s what the Government Accountability Office told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works yesterday. Upon reviewing reports and studies from the past six years, the GAO […]

Bad Vibrations

Seismic movement could assist in oil production Like so much else in this crazy world, earthquakes are bad for you but potentially good for oil companies. Seismic shaking appears to increase permeability of underground rocks, leading to easier oil flow. “[T]his has practical implications for oil extraction,” says University of California scientist Emily Brodsky, who […]

With Our Tailpipe Between Our Legs

U.S. cars are tops in CO2 emissions The U.S. boasts 30 percent of the world’s cars and is responsible for almost half of global car-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a new report by Environmental Defense. American-driven cars emit 15 percent more carbon dioxide per mile than the global average (meaning, in essence, they get worse […]