Articles by Grist staff

U Can’t Touch This

EPA warns against skin contact with toxic New Orleans floodwaters The floodwaters swamping New Orleans have become a filthy, toxic stew, testing at least 10 times over the U.S. EPA’s limits for sewage-related contaminants like E. coli, viruses, and cholera-like bacteria. The EPA has warned that skin contact with floodwater could be almost as risky […]

You Deserve a Break to Hay

City slickers go on farm vacations to get respite from modern life Overstimulated urban dwellers are taking farm vacations to get back in touch with country life — a phenomenon that may help preserve America’s rural landscape. “Agri-tourism” generates considerable, much-needed revenue for Liberty Hill Farm in Vermont; it’s one of just a few thousand […]

A Detox on Both Your Houses

EPA releasing new, stricter rules on human testing of pesticides Researchers would be prohibited from intentionally exposing children and pregnant women to pesticides in order to study the chemicals’ effects, under new regulations being proposed today by the U.S. EPA. The agency formulated the rules — its first-ever on human testing of pesticides — after […]

China Pattern

China may boost use of renewables, efforts to fight climate change Recent developments show China making concerted efforts to boost its use of clean energy and engage the world community in efforts to battle global warming. Late last week, China and the European Union announced a deal that would have the formidable economic powers sharing […]