Articles by Grist staff

I Want My DDT

As the U.N. drafts a treaty that could ban DDT worldwide, many health officials are protesting that such a ban would devastate efforts to control malaria in some developing nations. DDT, one of 12 highly toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants that the U.N. plans to eliminate, is sprayed in small amounts on the […]

Cod Dammit!

Even as tough fishing restrictions in New England’s Georges Bank fishing ground are beginning to restore populations of cod and other groundfish, a new report by federal and state biologists suggests that still tighter limits should be imposed. Scientists say that fish populations have been so severely depleted that it will take years to restore […]

Tongue Depressing News

The destruction of forests and other ecosystems is leading to a loss of languages, as indigenous peoples are driven from their homes and forced to migrate to urban areas and assimilate into dominant cultures, according to the U.N. Environment Program. Bai-Mass Taal, UNEP’s biodiversity program manager, says there is heavy overlap between areas of high […]

Less Fun in More Sun

Heat waves, rising sea levels, drought, disease, and other problems brought on by global warming could keep tourists away from many of the world’s most popular vacation spots in coming decades, according to a report conducted by a British university and released yesterday by the World Wildlife Fund. Ski areas in Europe are likely to […]