Articles by Grist staff

Big Trouble in Big China

News flash: China’s environment is bad and getting worse A Washington Post exploration of China’s environmental problems confirms all the sorry tales you’ve been hearing. The country contains at least six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities, experts say, leading to respiratory problems for millions of citizens. Deforestation in north and central China means […]

Gambler’s Dilemma

Investing in renewable energy can pose ethical dilemmas Over the past two years, the value of fossil-fuel companies has soared while the worldwide stock-market value of renewable-energy companies has declined from $13 billion to $10.7 billion. This, despite ever-renewing hope that a major energy transition will spark a boom in the renewables arena. Many Wall […]

Sturm Und Dang

Climate change and urbanization lead to more natural-disaster fatalities Thanks to global warming and the increasing concentration of the earth’s denizens in densely populated urban centers, more and more people are vulnerable to natural disasters — floods, droughts, storms, fires, landslides, and the like. The number of reported natural disasters rose from 261 in 1990 […]

Brent Blackwelder, Friends of the Earth chieftain, answers questions

With what environmental organization are you affiliated? I am president of Friends of the Earth. What does your organization do? What, in a perfect world, would constitute “mission accomplished”? Friends of the Earth is a national environmental organization celebrating our 35th anniversary this year. We are part of Friends of the Earth International, with member […]