Articles by Grist staff

Can't See the Forest for the Smoke

Indonesian Pres. B.J. Habibie yesterday ordered immediate action to stop forest fires burning in the areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan, which are causing a thick, choking haze throughout much of Southeast Asia. But Walhi, Indonesia’s leading environmental group, said the government is much too late in moving to tackle the fires, which are being set […]

Yuck a Mountain

Federal scientists studying Nevada’s Yucca Mountain say they have uncovered no environmental factors that would rule out the site as a future home for waste from nuclear power plants, according to a draft environmental impact statement released on Friday. Officials did, however, acknowledge “a substantial amount of uncertainty associated with estimates of long-term repository performance.” […]

Governors to Agree on Gibberish

Today the nation’s governors, at their annual summer meeting, will adopt a made-up word as their new environmental doctrine: Enlibra, a term used by Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R) and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) to describe their doctrine of resolving environmental conflicts through negotiation. The Enlibra policy statement, expected to be approved unanimously by […]

Estrada Chips Away at Logging

Some Asian officials are beginning to recognize that the effects of annual monsoons and typhoons in the region are exacerbated by human-caused environmental degradation. Rampant logging of forests and illegal quarrying loosen silt that thereby clogs rivers and worsens flooding. Philippine Pres. Joseph Estrada is particularly concerned about the loss of forested land and has […]