Articles by Grist staff

Papua Goes After the Weasel

Indonesia to Freeport: Clean up mining operations or we’ll sue Indonesia has warned New Orleans-based mining giant Freeport-McMoRan that it will sue if the company doesn’t clean up its gold and copper mining operation in Papua — ideally in the next two to three years. Politicians and eco-advocates have charged Freeport with polluting streams and […]

Who Let the Catastrophe Out of the Bag?

Earth warming, ice melting, seas rising, umpteenth study says Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions could — maaaaybe — stave off a catastrophic rise in sea levels that in coming centuries could return the earth to conditions last seen 129,000 years ago. We would never have guessed, but fortunately scientists keep pointing it out — as in this […]

A virtual walking tour of Wisconsin’s Sokaogon Chippewa community

Three years ago, the Sokaogon Chippewa tribe of Northern Wisconsin bought the nearby site of a proposed mine, winning a 30-year battle to preserve their land and community. But this April, the mortgage comes due, and the tribe is still struggling to raise money to pay it off. Tribe member Tina Van Zile leads a virtual walking tour of her community, reflecting on the past fight for justice, her present frustrations, and her hopes for future generations.

Chop Revenuey

China creates new taxes to curb timber and energy use China has announced an array of new “green taxes” on diverse goods — from throwaway chopsticks to golf balls to SUVs — to try and rein in deforestation and skyrocketing energy use. Chinese nibblers use around 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks a year, […]