Articles by Grist staff

The Finnish Line

The Finnish parliament began debating a controversial plan yesterday to bury waste from Finland’s nuclear power plants at a site some 1,600 feet underground. If the plan is approved, Finland will become the first country in the world to store nuclear waste deep underground. Environmentalists are protesting the proposal. Meanwhile, the Japanese government is poised […]

Army of Darkness

Saying that the U.S. faces a “darker future” if it doesn’t boost its domestic energy supply, President Bush unveiled his long-awaited proposal today to open more federal lands to oil and gas drilling, build many more power plants, and increase the production of nuclear power in the country. Under the plan, Bush will issue one […]

Cool Air, Just Don't Breathe It

Environmental officials in Utah yesterday eased air-quality rules temporarily to allow communities in the state to rev up diesel generators so that residents can blast their air-conditioning this summer. Some cities fear they will experience blackouts this summer, as a lack of rain, inadequate conservation, and ties to the energy crunch in California have led […]

Infertile Crescent

The largest wetland in the Middle East has shrunk by 90 percent since 1970, a change that has had a “devastating” impact on humans and wildlife, says the U.N. Environment Programme in a report to be released later this year. The UNEP says that dams and drainage projects have been the two main causes of […]