Articles by Grist staff

Deep-Sea Brawling

Coalition calls for ban on deep-sea trawling A coalition of enviro groups is sounding the alarm over deep-sea bottom trawling, petitioning the U.N. to ban a practice they say is rapidly destroying fragile marine ecosystems, including cold-water corals. Bottom trawling consists of dragging a heavy net across the bottom of the ocean, attempting to snag […]

Rout of Africa

Environmental degradation fuels violence in Africa Environmental problems like water shortages, deforestation, and overgrazing — all exacerbated by global warming — are tightly linked to violent conflict in parts of Africa, according to a new U.N. report. “The link could go in either or both directions,” says the report, “conflict creates conditions promoting ecosystem degradation, […]

Sex! Violence! Sitting in a Tree!

Story of tree-sitting activist Julia Butterfly Hill headed to big screen Celebrated activist Julia Butterfly Hill, author of the memoir “The Legacy of Luna,” is heading for the bright lights (and sudden fame, subsequent substance abuse, rehab, appearance on “The Surreal Life,” and rehabilitation by hot indie filmmaker) of Hollywood. Hill, you may recall, protested […]

It’s Worse Than You Think

Energy bill a prime example of legislative process run amok The Boston Globe is running a three-part series on how the Republicans now in control of Congress are reshaping the legislative process. It ain’t pretty. Part two follows the path of the massive (and currently stalled) energy bill, which began with closed-door meetings of the […]