Articles by Grist staff

Critical Mass

Massachusetts proposes tough standard for perchlorate in drinking water In a not-so-subtle jab at the Bush administration, Massachusetts has proposed a strict drinking-water standard for the toxic chemical perchlorate, which can disrupt metabolism, growth, and development, particularly in children. There is currently no federal limit on perchlorate in drinking water, though the U.S. EPA has […]

Campuses across the country turn to renewable energy

"Leadership in sustainability could give [University of Florida] the edge it needs to be a Top 10 public university." That's the beginning of an article from UF's student paper The Alligator. Now read it again. (Just do it. Work with me, people!) Do you understand what that means? Let me spell it out for you: Sustainability = Mad Props. Really. That's what it says.

And apparently it's a growing trend; colleges are seeing green cred as an important factor in attracting students and getting high rankings from Those People Who Decide Which Colleges Are the Best and Which Ones Suck. And one way many schools are going for the green is by powering up renewable energy on their campuses. (Ha! "Powering up" ... you love it!)

Schools ranging in size from community colleges to major Ivy Leagues are moving toward renewable energy use (and gaining loads of green cred in the process):

• Napa Valley College has installed Northern California's largest solar array to provide 40 percent of its power.
• The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is erecting a wind turbine in hopes of cutting electric bills in half.
• Yale plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below 1990 levels (hello, DIY Kyoto!) by investing in energy conservation and alternative energy sources.

And these schools certainly are not alone.

Bicker Agua

World Water Forum to get controversial kickoff this week in Mexico City If you’re going to be in Mexico City on Thursday, don’t drink the water. Oh, and you might want to swing by the World Water Council’s not-very-creatively-named World Water Forum — or a protest march timed to coincide with its opening. Dozens of […]

(Tell Me Why) I Don’t Like Tuesdays

Scientists report even less Arctic ice, even more greenhouse gas In the wake of unprecedented summer melts, Arctic sea ice has failed to grow to its typical winter reach for the second year running. Researchers fear this signals — stop us if this sounds familiar — an irreversible amplification of the effects of climate change […]