Articles by Grist staff

Ayatollah You So

Iran is in the midst of its worst drought in 30 years, heightening problems caused by poor water management, climate change, and rapid population growth. The country’s largest body of freshwater, Lake Hamoun, is now desert and 100 nearby villages are disappearing beneath sand. Drinking water is being rationed in more than 30 cities, including […]

Fondest Schregardus

Facing an uphill battle, Donald Schregardus, President Bush’s choice to head the U.S. EPA’s enforcement division, withdrew his name from consideration yesterday. Schregardus told Bush in a letter that it was clear that his “nomination will not be considered by the U.S. Senate in a timely manner.” He was right to think so. Earlier this […]

Hanoi-ance

There are nine times more endangered species of sea life in Vietnam than there were in 1989, according to statistics from the country’s Ministry of Fisheries reported in the New Hanoi newspaper. The number of species at risk has grown from 15 to 135. In 1989, 35 percent of Vietnam’s coral reefs were healthy; that […]

Maple Leaf Rag

New England could lose many of its trademark sugar maples, and the region’s cross-country skiing and snowmobile industries could take a big hit, if steps aren’t taken soon to fend off climate change, according to a new study produced by the U.S. EPA, environmental groups, and others. If no steps are taken, Boston’s climate by […]