Articles by Grist staff

My Name Is Prince and I Am Gunky

Exxon Valdez disaster still screwing up Prince William Sound Wildlife in Alaska’s Prince William Sound is still threatened by oil spilled from the tanker Exxon Valdez in 1989. According to a new study by researchers at the National Marine Fisheries Service, some 100 tons of oil still pollute the sound shoreline and are potentially accessible […]

Chase to the Cut

House passes bill to speed up salvage logging A bill that would speed up salvage logging in national forests after fires and other natural disasters has passed in the House. Currently, a careful review of wildlife and forest health is required before timber can be salvaged and sold after catastrophes; proponents of the heftily named […]

Students tell Penn State they want Kyoto now!

Never let it be said that college students are only interested in cheap booze and the latest episode of My Super Sweet 16. OK, it can be said about some people (hello, freshman roomie), but never let it be said about these folks:

Penn State green group EcoAction has been pressing uni-prez Graham Spanier for two years to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and get PSU in compliance with Kyoto (Now!). Last month, the group staged a sit-in in the guy's office (and also, clearly, outside, as seen in the photo above from It's Getting Hot in Here). They also delivered about 4,500 signatures of support, including a string of thousands of signed letters delivered via a human chain into his office. Apparently, in a recent campaign, they planted 4,000 red and orange flags along a campus green area to represent the 4,000 students (10 percent of the student body!) supporting their cause -- in the process making a nice statement about wind power and creating a can't-miss-it visual display. Kudos, kids!

And speaking of creative visuals, 41 student teams recently competed in a sustainable design competition sponsored by the EPA and held on the National Mall. The P3 award -- for People, Prosperity, and the Planet -- includes funding up to $75,000 for the students to see their ideas to fruition.

The winning teams and their ideas, below the fold:

Taking Care of Business

New York Times runs series on green biz The New York Times is running a ginormous series today on green business, creatively titled “The Business of Green.” (Hey, NYT, if you need headline help for the next series, just let us know.) Read about green collaborations among businesses and enviro organizations; Chicago’s success in combining […]