Articles by Grist staff

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.

Eric Britton, sustainable-development booster, answers questions

Eric Britton. What work do you do? I earn my living and pay the rent as an international adviser, consultant, and team builder for public- and private-sector organizations that have accepted that they need new thinking in the face of this uncomfortable concept that some call “sustainable development.” That takes about half my time. For […]

Choosing the healthiest place to raise your kids can be a complicated matter

Two new reports in British medical journals suggest that choosing the right place to raise your children can have a major impact on their health and well-being.

"Duh," you say. But let's look at the details.

One study says living within 650 feet of a power line may significantly increase a child's likelihood of developing leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer. It's a question that's been debated for a while now, and some researchers say the link is still weak.

Another study says exposure to aircraft noise may impair reading comprehension, while road traffic noise may actually improve (!) memory recall abilities in schoolchildren. However, a combination of both aircraft noise and traffic noise was associated with additional stress and a reduced quality of life.

So, to recap: living near power lines = bad; living near a busy airport = bad; living near a busy road = good (?); living on busy road near airport = bad.

Below the fold, tips on finding environmentally friendly communities:

Ferry Godfather

Architect shows that reusing discarded materials can be chic Greens have been going on for years about the need to reuse society’s refuse. Now, a high-end modernist San Francisco architect named Olle Lundberg is showing that scavenging is not just for the poor and idealistic. The rich can play too! For instance, Lundberg lives on […]