Articles by Grist staff

Climate change will further spread of wildlife-to-human diseases, says report

Climate change is likely to further the spread of a “deadly dozen” diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans, says a new report from the Wildlife Conservation Society. The nasties: avian flu, babesiosis, cholera, Ebola, Lyme disease, parasites, plague, red tide, Rift Valley fever, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis, and yellow fever. Whee! “The term ‘climate […]

States ranked on energy efficiency, Grist provides drinking game

We suggest that while reading this blurb, you take a drink at every mention of “efficient” or “efficiency.” And go! California, Oregon, and Connecticut are taking the lead in improving energy efficiency, according to the 2008 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. In the face of high energy […]

Feds will designate critical habitat for polar bears

The U.S. government will designate critical habitat for polar bears off Alaska’s coast as part of a partial settlement of a lawsuit brought by Greenpeace, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Center for Biological Diversity. The Interior Department declared polar bears a threatened species in May, but neglected to make any stipulations for habitat […]

McCain or Obama should attend global climate talks in December

This is a guest post from Bill McKibben, a scholar in residence at Middlebury College and author of a dozen books, most recently The Bill McKibben Reader. McKibben serves on Grist’s board of directors and is cofounder of 350.org. —– There have been moments in the last few weeks when it seemed like the world […]