Articles by Grist staff

Let It Blow, Let It Blow, Let It Blow

Wind power is now cheaper than coal in the U.S., according to a study published in the journal Science. The study’s researchers, two Stanford engineers, priced wind power at 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt hour, already competitive with the market price for coal power. After factoring in health and environmental costs, they put the […]

Making Arsenics of Themselves

A new study released yesterday by an advisory panel to the U.S. EPA undercuts one of the Bush administration’s main reasons for revoking a tougher standard for arsenic levels in drinking water. When EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman rejected the standard, she said the Clinton administration hadn’t adequately considered costs when arriving at the standard. […]

Footloose and Fancy Fleet

In a decision that could affect air pollution policy nationwide, a federal judge ruled yesterday that California officials can order public agencies to buy cleaner vehicles. Two industry associations challenged a rule by the South Coast Air Quality Management District that requires agencies to purchase low-emission or alternative-fuel cars, buses, and trucks, instead of diesel-powered […]

Bay of Pigs' Waste

The U.S. Congress should give farmers more than $6 billion a year to help them restore wetlands and prevent agricultural waste from polluting the nation’s waterways, according to American Rivers and Environmental Defense. They said yesterday that nearly half of the country’s bays are too polluted for fishing and swimming because of fertilizer and manure […]