Articles by Grist staff

My Abalone Has a First Name

The word “abalone” probably doesn’t bring to mind the same connotations as, say, “heroin” — but conservationists in South Africa say that illegal trade in the ocean mollusk has wreaked the kind of havoc usually associated with narcotics, bringing guns, gangs, and violence to previously peaceful communities. Abalone is a prized gourmet food in much […]

Honey, I Shrunk the Budget

As states across the nation face massive budget shortfalls, many are aiming their axes at environmental and conservation programs. In South Carolina, for instance, the state legislature is considering cutting $16 million from conservation programs to help balance its upcoming budget. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation yesterday urged state legislators to protect the funds, noting […]

Dump Yuck

Twenty-two of 50 landfills tested in California have been found to contain unusually high levels of radiation, and radioactive waste from seven of those dumps has contaminated nearby groundwater, state environmental officials announced yesterday. The findings raise new questions about the ongoing impact of a now-defunct California policy that allowed mildly radioactive waste in local […]

Slope a Dope

Four decades of resource extraction in Alaska’s North Slope has been a mixed bag for the region’s environment and people, according to a study released yesterday by an 18-member panel of the National Research Council, the research arm of the U.S. National Academies. The study, which is the first-ever assessment of the cumulative impact of […]