Articles by Grist staff

The Bad News Forebears

Study suggests toxins’ effects may be passed down through generations A pregnant woman’s exposure to toxic chemicals may cause harmful effects not only in her children, but in her grandchildren and theirs, a surprising new study suggests. For some time scientists have known about “epigenetic” changes: chemical modifications of DNA that affect the way it […]

The Sawn Remains the Same

Massive Amazon illegal logging ring busted Eighty-nine people were rounded up by Brazilian authorities this week as part of a massive crackdown on illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest, causing a rare outbreak of hope among conservationists that the country’s government is finally taking the problem seriously. (The sweep came just weeks after the latest, […]

Foreign corporations spend big to influence U.S. environmental law

Cold, hard, foreign cash. Lobbying has become as much a part of American culture as apple pie, blue jeans, and monster trucks, but it’s not just U.S. companies playing the game. Increasingly, foreign corporations are spending big bucks to push their interests in Washington, D.C., many with the intent of weakening environmental protections — from […]

Maybe She’s Born With It, Maybe It’s Labeling

USDA won’t certify personal-care products as organic Makers of “natural” cosmetics, lotions, and potions, and the consumers who love them, are vexed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent decision not to certify personal-care products as organic. The little green USDA organic seal, which now adorns many food products in the U.S., will not be […]