Articles by Grist staff

Blue Birds

If climate change increases El Nino activity, as some scientists believe, the number of migratory songbirds that spend their summers in North American forests could decline significantly, suggests a study published today in the journal Science. Researchers from Dartmouth College and Tulane University found that El Nino climate cycles reduce the insect and caterpillar food […]

Study Buddies

Led by the unusual duo of Sens. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the Senate yesterday approved a transportation spending bill recommending that the federal government be allowed to study current corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles and determine if they should be boosted. For five years, the Clinton administration has been […]

Old Coal Kings

Two senators from big coal-producing states are trying to thwart plans to mothball a coal-fired power plant that heats the U.S. Capitol and replace it with a system that uses cleaner natural gas and fuel oil. Capitol architect Alan Hantman had proposed the upgrade to the plant, which is among the most polluting facilities in […]

A Green and Pleasant Iceland

British supermarket company Iceland, the first supermarket chain to ban genetically modified foods, announced yesterday that it is investing more than $13 million in a push to make organic produce available to customers at prices comparable to those of foods grown with pesticides. Iceland has made deals to buy nearly 40 percent of the world’s […]