Articles by Grist staff

Raise High the Green Beam, Carpenter

Why is green building still so hard? Green building has come a long way, baby — but has it come far enough? Auden Schendler, who’s overseen numerous green-building projects for the Aspen Skiing Company, doesn’t think so. Schendler wonders why, for instance, you can’t buy an eco-friendly house in any average subdivision in America. He […]

Stick With Pickles and Ice Cream

Pregnant women shouldn’t eat canned tuna, says Consumer Reports We’re all aware that pregnant women shouldn’t overeat seafood because of mercury contamination, but the Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, recommends that moms-to-be skip canned tuna altogether. Most canned light tuna is skipjack, a species relatively low in mercury, but a Chicago Tribune investigation […]

Spore Losers

Climate change could make pollen rise and allergies worse Perhaps you’ve heard the argument that a rise in carbon dioxide levels is a good thing, because CO2 helps plants grow. Well, says Hah-vard’s Paul Epstein, “It is the opportunistic plants like poison ivy and ragweed that thrive.” That’s right, ye allergy-stricken: More CO2 means more […]

Kelp, I Need Somebody

It’s World Ocean Day, and the watery deep could use some help Happy World Ocean Day! You, land-dweller, have pitifully limited living space: The surface of the globe you ramble on is some 71 percent saltwater, and the depths plunge down as far as seven miles. These dark and deep blue seas and their myriad […]