Articles by Grist staff

Phil Brick, environmental politics professor, answers questions

Phil Brick. What work do you do? I am professor of politics and codirector of environmental studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. I am also the founder and director of an environmental-studies field program, Whitman College Semester in the West, a three-month field tour focusing on the political, ecological, and human dimensions of […]

Readers talk back about school choice, organic rules, bike commuting, and more

  Re: Storm Front and Center Dear Editor: If we could only make politicians and multinational firms understand the direct relation between forest clear-cutting and floods, we might be able to prevent — or at least reduce — the damage caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina is one good example of many stupid […]

The Dark Side of the Source

EPA issues draft rules that would gut air-pollution standard The U.S. EPA has issued draft regulations that would allow the nation’s dirtiest power plants to emit more air pollution. The proposed regs — anticipated and dreaded by clean-air advocates — would supersede new-source review (NSR), the Clean Air Act regulation requiring plants to upgrade their […]

Wet, Me Worry?

Wetlands protection has gone downhill under Bush administration The Bush administration has radically curtailed protection of wetlands and waterways in the past four years, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. It found that prior to 2001, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asserted its jurisdiction over most waters if migratory birds […]