Articles by Grist staff

World could be fossil-fuel free by 2090, study says

The world could wean itself off fossil fuels entirely by 2090 with trillions of dollars worth of investments in renewable energy and a concerted worldwide push, according to a study by Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council.

Up to seven endangered orcas feared dead

A group of 90 orcas that was declared endangered in 2005 may have lost up to seven of its members — the group’s biggest decline in about a decade. Some researchers said the drop is likely tied at least in part to large declines in the orcas’ favorite food: chinook salmon.

Arctic ice thinning even in winter, study finds

A new study found that Arctic sea ice has been thinning steadily in winter since about 2001, with last winter’s ice shrinking by nearly 20 percent. The new data could speed up forecasts for when Arctic sea ice will be completely gone.

European Union will require airlines to join carbon-trading program

Airlines flying within the borders of the European Union will be required to participate in a pollution-permit trading system to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions starting in 2012, the E.U. ruled on Friday. The decision ticked off the U.S. and the airline industry.