Articles by Grist staff

Letting the Gene Out of the Bottle

Delegates from almost 200 countries are meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, this week to discuss the future of genetically modified organisms. Their challenge is to strike a balance between the fondest hopes of the multi-billion dollar biotech industry and the deepest fears of environmentalists, who worry that GMOs could adversely affect ecosystems and human health. […]

Read the resignation letter from Robert Martin, former national ombudsperson for the U.S. EPA

The following letter of resignation was submitted on April 22, 2002, by Robert Martin, the national ombudsperson for the U.S. EPA. Martin, who has held the post since 1992, was well-regarded by environmentalists for his handling of complaints about Superfund cleanups, but less beloved by higher-ups at the agency. He said his resignation was provoked […]

My Favorite Martin

Robert Martin marked Earth Day by resigning yesterday from his position as ombudsperson for the U.S. EPA. Martin, who has held the post since 1992, was well-regarded by environmentalists for his handling of complaints about cleanups conducted under the EPA’s Superfund program, but less beloved by higher-ups at the agency. In November, EPA Administrator Christie […]

I Believe in Yesterday!

While President Bush and former Vice President Al Gore spent Earth Day talking up the environment and taking jabs at each other, how was the rest of the world celebrating the occasion? In Indonesia, environmentalists blocked traffic and planted trees; in Thailand, some 15,000 Buddhists prayed for the Earth; in the Philippines, cyclists filled streets […]