Articles by Grist staff

Army Corps of Darkness

Army Corps of Engineers has screwed up more than NOLA levees The Army Corps of Engineers spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on ill-designed, ineffective, and environmentally disastrous projects — and that’s not the enviros talking. Harsh critiques of the Corps — whose work includes draining wetlands and mucking about with rivers — have […]

Arctic Tock …

Arctic ice may be gone in one to three decades If you’ve been planning a trip to the Arctic, better buy your tickets now, because it’s a-meltin’ fast. (Perhaps you’ve heard?) A record low amount of ocean froze over this winter — a reduction of over 115,000 square miles of sea ice from last year. […]

Scientists confirm existence of grizzly-polar bear hybrid

Weird:

A DNA test has confirmed what zoologists, big-game hunters and aboriginal trackers in the far northern reaches of Canada have imagined for years: the first documented case of a hybrid grizzly-polar bear in the wild.

That's right, folks, a polar bear and a grizzly bear have mated and produced offspring -- a bear mutt of sorts. As the polar bear's habitat disappears (thanks, global warming!) and the range for both bears continues to overlap, will we see more hybrids?

I certainly hope so! But only if I get to be on the naming committee. Check out these proposed monikers (emphasis mine):

[Big game hunter Jim] Martell told the newspaper he has dubbed the hybrid creature a "polargrizz." [Polar bear biologist Ian] Stirling said others in his office have been tossing around in jest possible names for the hybrid: a "pizzly" or a "grolar bear." One colleague said they ought to call it "nanulak," combining the Inuit names for polar bear -- "nanuk" -- and grizzly bear, which is "aklak."

Can we call it a "pizzly"? Pretty please?!

The Best Big Wind Farm in Texas

Biggest U.S. offshore wind farm planned for Texas coast Yesterday, officials approved a plan to build the biggest offshore wind farm in the U.S. off the coast of Padre Island, Texas. Say it with us now: everything’s bigger in Texas. Superior Renewable Energy LLC plans to erect as many as 170 turbines, with the capacity […]