Articles by Grist staff

Dumbo and Dumber

Poachers in Zimbabwe have killed as many as 400 elephants in the past year, according to park officials and internal park documents. Gangs have used AK-47 automatic rifles to kill the animals, then axes or chain saws to hack off the elephants’ ivory tusks, leaving hundreds of carcasses in the remote Zambezi valley near the […]

This Plastic Is Not Fantastic

EU governments yesterday unanimously approved an emergency ban on some baby toys made from PVC plastic containing chemicals called phthalates. Some scientists believe that phthalates, used to soften plastics, could leach out of toys that babies put in their mouths and pose serious health risks. The EU’s executive commission points to research that has linked […]

My Way or No Highway

Pressed by a lawsuit from environmentalists, the EPA yesterday said that smog clean-up plans are inadequate in nine of the nation’s most polluted urban areas, including New York City and Houston. EPA Administrator Carol Browner said that although the nine areas in question have made some progress, state governments still need to take additional steps […]

Soon, They'll Be Calling It the Greenhouse

Energy-efficiency measures and other steps taken to make the White House more eco-friendly have saved taxpayers nearly $1.4 million since 1993, according to an administration report to be released today. The savings, now totaling about $300,000 a year, have been achieved through more efficient lighting, heating, and air conditioning; new insulation; double-paned windows; and energy-saving […]