Articles by Grist staff

Hey, Poacher, Leave Those Squids Alone

Pirates cause a social and environmental ruckus in Africa There’s lots of money involved in commercial fishing off African coastlines — a full trawler can bring in over $400,000. The high stakes, poor regulation, and lack of coast guards lure “pirates,” foreign anglers who bully locals and deplete area fish stocks illegally. Many unlicensed vessels […]

It’s Wicked, Wicked Real

Two new high-profile studies reaffirm global-warming science Last year, the National Academy of Sciences was commissioned by Congress to rigorously assess a notorious climate study that has become a flash point in the debate between global-warming denialists and the other 98 percent of us. The study contained a graph that’s come to be known as […]

C’est Bonn

Legendary music fest Bonnaroo urges fans to go green What do you get when 80,000 blissed-out music fans spend four days in the Tennessee sun? Besides sunburns in inconvenient places, that is. You get trash: 600 tons of it. And you get a captive crowd, which makes it a fine time to offer words of […]

Umbra asks: Where has Grist gone?

Dearest Gristmillers,

Umbra Fisk here, writing to inquire whether you've seen any of my Grist colleagues.

I spent the last few weeks in my usual spot in the basement, working on a series of columns about eco-friendly foodstuffs, pausing only for the occasional bite of locally grown fiddlehead fern. Finished at last, I rushed up the five flights of stairs to turn in the copy.

But the place was nearly empty. The people, the computers, the desk, the 2005 and 2006 Best Magazine Webby awards -- all gone. Unaccountably, all that was left was a brand new unicycle.

I know it's been tough up there lately: bad news about melting icecaps, Grizzly-Polar-Care Bear hybrids, etc. Also, it's very, very crowded (why do you think I fled to the basement?). Still, I'm not quite sure where they'd go.

Let me know if you see them. You'll recognize them by the kenaf notebooks, furrowed brows, and quick wordplay. Also, one of them is carrying a suitcase stuffed with cash -- though apparently not nearly enough. The fundraising guy, Michael, muttered something a few days ago about needing $60,000, having only half of it, and desperate times/measures. I was on deadline, and wasn't paying close attention. Now I wonder.

In addition to keeping your eyes open, maybe you could also open your wallet, and relieve some of Grist's financial strain. Send 50 bucks by 11:59 p.m. PDT tomorrow, June 23, and I tell you what: I'll put you in a drawing for this nifty Kris Holm Unicycle. I'm finding it too challenging to both pedal and fork fiddlehead at the same time, so this one-wheeler can be yours.

Unbalanced,
Umbra

P.S. The one nice thing about working in the basement is easy access to the storage closet. And do you know what's in there? A beautiful Calfee Design bike made of gleaming, sustainable bamboo. Send us $100 and I'll put you in a drawing for it. Or send $50, and I'll give you a chance at one of these 24 pairs of Miōn shoes. They're waterproof -- handy as sea levels surge!

P.P.S. There is more than one way to give, so pick your pleasure: check, PayPal or credit card.