Articles by Grist staff

Anti-air Force?

In yet another environmental compromise made in the wake of last month’s terrorist attacks, the U.S. EPA has backed off from pressuring the Air Force to eliminate the use of the gas Halon in its fighter planes. Although Halon is banned for most purposes because it breaks down the ozone layer, the Air Force continues […]

Hang In, Chad

Nearly 10 percent of African bird species are threatened with extinction, according to a newly completed eight-year study published by BirdLife International, an international coalition of conservation groups. The study said many of the species could be saved if 7 percent of the African continent was protected. It identified 1,228 important bird areas, and found […]

Wherefore Art Thou Romero?

There’s death, taxes and now — garbage. So says California state Sen. Gloria Romero (D), who is concerned about the state’s increasingly inescapable waste problem. California’s population is expected to reach 40 million by the end of the decade, and Romero and others see a waste management nightmare in the combination of a mushrooming poor […]

Dam Nation

The Amazon Basin could become home to the world’s third-largest dam if Brazil continues with plans to build a hydroelectric plant to stave off the nation’s energy crisis. Energy consumption in Brazil is growing by 5.3 percent annually, a rate that far outstrips supply increases. The energy shortage was compounded this year by a severe […]