Articles by Grist staff

At Whit's End

U.S. EPA Administrator Christie Whitman now thinks her decision to revoke a Clinton administration rule to reduce arsenic in drinking water was a bone-headed move. She told USA Today that her decision wasn’t bad policy, but bad politics: “Politically, if I’d been smart, I would’ve never changed it. … I would’ve let the courts decide. […]

Coughing Up the Dough

In the latest victory for residents suffering from pollution-related health problems in a Japanese city, 10 companies agreed today to pay $12.2 million to 260 locals who went to court to protest emissions from the companies’ factories. The out-of-court settlement ends a 12-year dispute in which the Nagoya residents contended that the factory emissions and […]

Better Off Red Than Dead?

The water level of the Dead Sea is dropping by about three feet a year and may go dry by 2050, says Friends of the Earth in the Middle East. The group is sponsoring a photo competition to raise awareness of the plight of the popular tourist attraction, using the catchy tag line, “Let the […]

Driving the Numbers Up

The percentage of households in the U.S. with three or more cars (18.3 percent) is nearly double the percentage of households with no cars (9.3 percent), and more than 76 percent of Americans say they drive to work alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Only 11 percent of people carpool, and merely 5 percent […]