Articles by Grist staff

Chinese Take Out Genes

With over 20,000 people employed in research positions and as much as $1.5 billion in funding through 2005, China is second only to the U.S. in its dedication to developing genetically modified (GM) crops. The rest of Asia is following its lead, with India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia dedicating billions of dollars […]

Birds of a Feather Crash Together

Somewhere between 5 million and 50 million migratory birds die every year from slamming into communications towers for cell phones, pagers, and radios, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, environmentalists are suing the Federal Communications Commission to force it to protect those birds. The lawsuit concerns towers that are at least 200 […]

Poaching Aches

If you associate poaching only with the cloud-shrouded mountains of Africa or the tropical forests of the Amazon, think again: Poachers are also taking a toll in North America. One recent victim was one of the last wild-born California condors, a female at least 30 years old and possessed of a nine-foot wingspan. The condor […]

Turning Over a New Leaf

Worried about deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change? Relax. A scientist at Columbia University has come up with a solution: synthetic trees. Klaus Lackner says his fake tree would suck carbon dioxide from the air, as plants do during photosynthesis, thereby helping cleanse the atmosphere of the leading greenhouse gas. According to Lackner, […]