Articles by Grist staff

News Flash: Law Enforcement Leads to Enforced Laws

Even though North Carolina has the most far-reaching soil runoff laws in the U.S., it still isn’t keeping its rivers clean, say scientists who’ve been studying the issue for four years. The problem, they say, is that the state doesn’t have a strong enough inspection regimen in place. The scientists from the University of North […]

How Now Mad Cow

The European Commission yesterday called for more support for organic agriculture and decreased beef production throughout Europe as a way to counter the mad cow disease crisis. The crisis "demonstrates the need for a return to farming methods that are more in tune with the environment," said the European Union farm commissioner, Franz Fischler. In […]

Mike Houck, Audubon Society of Portland

Mike Houck has been urban naturalist for the Audubon Society of Portland since 1982 and is a cofounder of the Coalition for a Livable Future. He also sits on numerous city and regional natural resource advisory committees, and is coeditor of Wild in the City. 3:30 a.m.: Woke up, wondering what was amiss. I had […]

Hamster Dunce

Germany is not doing enough to protect native hamsters, says the European Commission. The commission has issued a formal warning to the country for allowing farming and development to occur in areas that are vital habitat for the endangered black-bellied hamster, a rodent that is both bigger and stronger than your everyday household hamster. Germany […]