Articles by Grist staff

Crystallized Meth

Methane Hydrates Could Be Next Big Energy Source; Enviros Concerned Methane hydrates deep under the ocean floor and the Alaskan permafrost may represent the world’s next big energy source, if they can be extracted safely. Some 10 trillion tons of carbon are trapped in the strange ice-like compounds, which form when flammable methane gas is […]

Biotech Dot Con

U.S. Government Funds Biotech-Boosting Website The U.S. government has launched a new website that trumpets the benefits of genetically modified foods — paid for with taxpayer dollars. It’s part of a larger State Department effort to “encourage broader adoption and acceptance of biotechnology in the developing world,” said department official Deborah Malac; the program got […]

Regulate First, Ask Questions Later

Flurry of Charges Leads EPA to Revisit Mercury Regs Amid a swirl of angry charges from states, environmental groups, and its own employees, the U.S. EPA is promising to revisit controversial proposed regulations on mercury emissions from power plants. Several EPA staffers — who remain anonymous to avoid retaliation — revealed what enviro groups have […]

EPA exaggerated claims about clean drinking water

That sinking feeling. The U.S. EPA claims it is successfully protecting the nation’s drinking-water supplies — but that claim seems to have sprung a leak. Earlier this month, the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General accused officials in the agency of consistently making bogus statements about improvements in the quality of America’s tap water. The […]