Articles by Grist staff

Roll Over, Colombia, Roll Over

Colombia’s rainforests and wildlife are becoming victims of the war over drugs. Since the mid-1990s, tens of thousands of acres of virgin rainforest deep in the Amazon have been chopped down to clear land for the planting of coca and opium poppies, the sources of cocaine and heroin. Additional ecological problems are caused when the […]

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

More than 70 tree species used to make popular musical instruments are at risk of going extinct, according the conservation group Fauna and Flora International, which has launched a new program to help preserve the trees. Species in trouble include the African blackwood, used for making clarinets and oboes; Brazil’s pau brasil, used to make […]

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

In a dramatic turnaround, British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday acknowledged what most people in his country have long believed: that genetically modified crops may pose risks to human and environmental health. “There is no doubt that there is potential for harm, both in terms of human safety and in the diversity of our […]

As Long As It Doesn't Drive Up the Cost of Happy Meal Toys

The U.S. environmental community is debating whether to actively oppose the Clinton administration’s plan to give China permanent normal trade relations status as China prepares to enter the World Trade Organization. Some enviros are hesitant in an election year to label House Democrats as “anti-environmental” if they vote for normal trade relations, and some worry […]