Articles by Grist staff

Ask Not for Whom the Toll Jells

U.K. transport secretary wants new tax on motorists U.K. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling wants to prevent “L.A.-style gridlock” on England’s major motorways. (With the U.K.’s tough gun-control laws, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?) He’s trying to drum up public support for “road pricing,” a tax of up to $2 per mile on drivers who […]

There’s No Place Like Foam

“Coffee-cup home” showcases wood-free construction Nancy Hall was looking for a forest-neutral way to construct a house on her 20 already-logged-over acres in Quilcene, Wash. She considered other darlings of the alternative-materials scene, but in the end chose Rastra — blocks of insulated concrete foam. And how do you Rastra, mon? Take recycled polystyrene coffee […]

Cities on a Hill

Fifty mayors from around world sign environmental accord Marking the culmination of World Environment Day festivities in San Francisco, 50 mayors from cities the world over yesterday signed a set of environmental accords some are calling a “municipal Kyoto.” Among the 21 commitments therein are increasing clean-energy use, reducing waste sent to landfills, adding affordable […]

Satellite images reveal humankind’s impact on earth.

A new photo atlas released by the United Nations Environment Program illustrates, in no uncertain terms, humanity's impact on the planet. We're talking 300-some pages of salacious satellite images documenting rampant deforestation, retreating glaciers, and massive urban sprawl (a la the images of Las Vegas, Nev., at left, in 1973 and 2000 respectively) in before-and-after photo spreads that put even the most trashy of gossip rags to shame. Sadly, however, I fear more people will see the aforementioned mags than this atlas. Plus, everyone knows before-and-after pics are always doctored. Nice try, U.N.