Articles by Grist staff

The Nitro of the Living Dead

In the past few decades, industrialization, population growth, and the heavy use of chemical fertilizers have doubled the amount of nitrogen in circulation, contributing to environmental problems worldwide and possibly human health problems like cancer and memory failure, reports the Baltimore Sun in a five-day series. Hardest hit are coastal bays and oceans — deadly […]

Cape Crusaders

South Africa outlined a sweeping conservation plan yesterday to protect biodiversity and estuaries across 35,000 square miles of the Cape Floral Kingdom, a region in the southwestern part of the nation. The ambitious plan, which is being hailed by enviros, aims by 2020 to set up a network of terrestrial and marine conservation areas, including […]

Beachy Keen

Congress passed a bill yesterday to expand the testing of coastal waters for pathogens and encourage states to warn beach goers when water is contaminated, and President Clinton is expected to sign it into law. The bill would offer states about $150 million over five years as an incentive to establish beach monitoring and public […]

Good Ideas in Short Supply

Believing that Al Gore is vulnerable on the issue of high oil prices, George W. Bush is planning to unveil an energy policy on Friday. It will include steps to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and boost domestic supply, said Lawrence Lindsey, Bush’s senior economic advisor. While Gore has proposed tax breaks and other […]