Articles by Grist staff

Protecting Their Privates

Oregon environmentalists are lamenting the passage on Tuesday of a ballot measure that will amend the Oregon constitution to require state and local governments to pay private property owners when land-use or other regulations reduce the value of their property. Opponents argue that the property-rights, or “takings,” measure will hamper the state’s widely touted efforts […]

It's Sprawl Downhill From Here

Much to the disappointment of environmentalists, high-profile anti-sprawl ballot measures in Colorado and Arizona were defeated in yesterday’s election. A proposed amendment to the Colorado constitution that would have put dramatic constraints on development, requiring cities and counties to develop growth plans and let the public vote on them, was rejected by a margin of […]

London Birds Are Falling Down

Urbanization and climate change may be partly to blame for a serious decline in Britain of house sparrows, formerly the most common bird in the country. Max Nicholson, a 96-year-old bird watcher who has been conducting informal bird censuses for 75 years, said that this year he counted only eight sparrows in London’s Kensington Gardens, […]

Waiting for Uh-oh

Enviros are biting their nails along with the rest of America, waiting to hear the outcome of the presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush. It is known that Green Party candidate Ralph Nader fell short of the 5 percent of votes that would have earned the party federal matching funds in the […]