Articles by Grist staff

My Sediments Exactly

After years of scientific and legal wrangling, the U.S. EPA began an experiment yesterday off the Palos Verdes Peninsula in California to test whether DDT-contaminated sediments on the ocean floor can be sealed with a layer of mud to protect marine life and people from the pesticide. If it deems the pilot project on 135 […]

Owling in the Wilderness

Ten environmental groups in the Northwest filed suit this month against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, claiming that the agency has not done its duty to protect the northern spotted owl, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit contends that the USFWS has allowed logging in critical owl habitat […]

Oh, My Aching Corns

A new scientific study confirms a previous finding that pollen from genetically modified (GM) corn can kill monarch butterfly caterpillars, reigniting a heated debate over whether GM crops should be more strictly regulated. Researchers from Iowa State University found that more than half of monarch caterpillars studied died after being exposed for 48 hours to […]

Let's Whale on 'Em

Ambassadors and representatives of 15 nations joined together yesterday at the Japanese Foreign Ministry to protest Japan’s whale hunting, which the country claims is done for scientific research. President Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, among other heads of state, have sent letters of protest to the Japanese government over the issue, and the […]