Articles by Grist staff

Smoke on the Water, Fire on the Hill

Four firefighters may have lost their lives last month in Washington state because of the Endangered Species Act, U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) charged yesterday. McInnis, chair of the House Resources forests subcommittee, cited unnamed sources who said that fire crews delayed helicopter water drops for three hours or more while dispatchers determined whether water […]

Just Spray No

Despite a judge’s order to temporarily cease fumigating coca and poppy plants with the herbicide glyphosate because of environmental and health concerns, Colombia said yesterday it would not stop the antidrug operation. The judge on Friday asked the Colombian government to explain what it knows about the effects of glyphosate on people and the environment. […]

Dah-ling I Love You, Don't Give My Parks Avenues

The U.S. National Park Service should stop worrying so much about pleasing visitors and instead focus on protecting natural resources, says an advisory panel. In its report, which is slated to be made public tomorrow, the National Park System Advisory Board says that the agency should “[a]dopt the conservation of biodiversity as a core principle” […]

Fool Efficiency

Casting aside arguments made by the auto industry for years, a panel appointed by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences said yesterday that the industry could significantly increase fuel-efficiency in SUVs and light trucks over the next decade. But a majority of the panel’s 13 members, most of whom have strong ties to the industry, […]