Articles by Grist staff

See You Later, Alligator

Scientists have been warning for years about shrinking amphibian populations, but now some researchers are saying that reptiles could be in even worse straits. Reptiles are in decline globally and a number of species face extinction, according to an article published in the journal Bioscience. For example, most species of sea turtles in warm oceans […]

Lighting Las Vegas

The U.S. government plans to boost the development of geothermal energy systems in Western states, with the aim of having 10 percent of the West’s electricity generated by the earth’s heat within 20 years, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced yesterday. Richardson detailed 21 partnerships between private industry and the Department of Energy to fund geothermal […]

Wild Horseshoe Crabs Couldn't Drive Virginia Away

In an effort to restore the devastated population of horseshoe crabs, the U.S. announced plans yesterday to create a 1,800-square-mile sanctuary stretching from Delaware Bay into the Atlantic where catching the crabs will be prohibited. U.S. Commerce Secretary Norman Mineta also threatened to shut down Virginia’s horseshoe crab fishing industry unless the state reduces its […]

Democrats to See L.A. Skyline

As Los Angeles prepares to host the Democratic National Convention next week, local officials are talking up the city’s improved air quality. Since 1960, the last year the city hosted the DNC, the region has reduced its peak ozone levels by 68 percent. There were no smog alerts in the city last year and there […]