Articles by Grist staff

Once Bitten, But Not Shy at All

Ukraine restarted the last working nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power plant on Friday after almost five months of repairs, ignoring strong international pressure to shut it down. Ukrainian officials had previously agreed to close the reactor by the end of this year, but they have now pushed the date forward to sometime next year, […]

Exhortin' Us to Hear the WHO

Environmental degradation increasingly threatens the existence of the world’s 300 million indigenous people, as do disease and poverty, according to a report released Friday by the World Health Organization. For example, populations in the Arctic have been exposed to very high levels of industrial contaminants. Native peoples in Alaska often lack safe drinking water and […]

Ashes, Ashes, We All Burn Down

The world’s first solar-powered crematorium is being built in the Indian state of Gujarat, and it will save about 660 pounds of firewood for each body cremated. A 540-square-foot solar dish will reflect the sun’s rays onto a specially built coffin, taking two to three hours to reduce a body to ashes. The dish cost […]

A Sworded Affair

Atlantic swordfish are in trouble, no thanks to fishing nations that this week refused to lower the allowable catch to a level scientists believe is sustainable. Delegates to an international negotiating meeting in Rio de Janeiro, which concluded on Monday, lowered the swordfish catch to 11,660 tons for next year, down from 12,980 this year, […]