Articles by Grist staff

Don't Touch That Fish With a 10-foot Pole

Mercury was discovered in Columbia River fish in Washington state more than a decade ago, but the state hasn’t yet posted signs to warn anglers about the dangers of eating mercury-tainted fish. One Health Department official said the major reason for not posting signs was that they would cost too much. Meanwhile, a state government […]

Be All That You Can Be

Thousands of workers in the U.S. may develop a fatal lung disease because companies have exposed them to the highly toxic metal beryllium without safeguards or warnings, according to a Chicago Tribune investigation. Beryllium disease, once only a problem with the defense industry, appears to be on the rise in the electronics, recycling, and dental […]

Law and Disorder

At the same time it was hired by the U.S. Energy Department to help determine whether Yucca Mountain in Nevada would be a suitable site to store the country’s nuclear waste, a Chicago-based law firm was taking money from the nuclear power industry to lobby Congress and the White House to get the site approved. […]

You Dirty Rats!

Using boats and helicopters to drop about 120 tons of poisoned bait, New Zealand has launched the biggest rat eradication program in history. By ridding the remote Campbell Island south of New Zealand of 200,000 rats, officials hope to clear the way for the return of the flightless teal duck and the restoration of a […]