Articles by Grist staff

The Ventilator

Washington state law calls for new public buildings to be green Washington state will be the first in the nation to require new public buildings to meet green building standards, thanks to a bill signed last week by Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) at Washington Middle School in Olympia. Said school is due for a remodel […]

Platform Shoos

Abandoned oil rigs host thriving ecosystems, stir debate Discovery of thriving ecosystems on some abandoned oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico is refueling a debate over what to do with old rigs once their oil-drilling life is over. Some conservationists have been advocating a “Rigs to Reefs” program whereby old platforms are tipped over, […]

Do the Riot Thing

Chemical factory pollution sparks riot in eastern China Thousands of farmers rioted in a village in eastern China over the weekend, taking a stand against encroachment of the country’s fast-growing industries onto their land, and the pollution and health problems that result. Villagers had set up roadblocks to interfere with deliveries to and from the […]

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Missing Waste

Like absentminded professors, nuclear plants misplace their waste A comprehensive new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office reveals pervasive problems in the nuclear industry, abetted by lax federal regulation. You know all that waste nuclear plants produce, the stuff that stays radioactive for a kajillion years? Yeah, well, seems they keep losing track of […]