Articles by Grist staff

Canada Too Dry

Riverside forests across Alberta, Canada, are dying off as a result of too many dams on the Bow River and other important waterways. The dams create reservoirs for drinking water and irrigation, prevent flooding, and generate electricity — but at a steep price, say Alberta environmentalists. Natural floods in the river valleys spread water and […]

Batten Down the Hatcheries

Hatchery salmon could spell trouble for their wild-born cousins by spreading genetic traits that impede survival, according to an article appearing in the current issue of the journal Science. The authors of the article found that Chinook salmon raised in a Canadian commercial hatchery laid significantly smaller eggs within four generations than wild salmon. In […]

Drilling Team

Speaking of which, advocates of opening up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling say they are just one vote shy of getting their wish. As a result, they’re upping the pressure on four senators seen as potential swing voters: Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), and Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, […]

Bye-bayou?

Louisiana’s wetlands problem is the country’s wetlands problem, according to Karen Gautreaux, chair of the state’s wetlands restoration panel and executive assistant to Gov. Mike Foster (R). Speaking before the Louisiana House and Senate Natural Resources committees, Gautreaux said the state’s coastline can never be returned to its original condition and can only be restored […]