Articles by Grist staff

Insane Freeze

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved a transportation spending bill that would continue the freeze on vehicle fuel-economy standards, a blow to environmentalists who argue that the current standards, set in 1975, are far too low. Enviros had not expected the House to vote in favor of lifting the freeze, which has been […]

Too Much to Bear?

The Sierra Club has suggested that the U.S. government more than triple the number of acres designated as recovery areas for grizzly bear populations in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, up from 5.9 million acres to 19.9 million. A Sierra Club study indicates that grizzly bears need areas of more than 1,000 square miles in order […]

Reinventing the Wheels

After more than a century of causing horrendous pollution, the auto industry is undergoing a green revolution, writes Jim Motavalli in Grist. Spurred by air pollution laws, the specter of global warming, and animated competition, automakers are starting to design and produce a whole new generation of clean cars, including fuel-cell and hybrid gas-electric vehicles. […]

Baked Alaska

The polar ice cap has thinned by 40 percent in the last 30 years, according to preliminary findings presented this week at a conference of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States. Other research presented at the conference documents how dramatic climate changes are making it difficult for Alaska natives to maintain subsistence lifestyles. […]