Articles by Grist staff

Snippets from the news

• Obama opposes Bush endangered-species proposal. • Department of Energy gives $24 million to solar, $340 million to “clean coal.” • Pesticides pose a threat to salmon. • Frogs and honeybees in trouble. • “Dolphin-friendly” label called misleading. • Smog-related deaths set to soar in Canada. • Court declines to decide whether Exxon should pay […]

Greens and Navy reach compromise over low-frequency sonar

The U.S. Navy and environmental groups have reached a compromise in a long-running dispute over the Navy’s use of low-frequency sonar, which greens say can befuddle whales and sometimes cause them to beach and die. The Navy on Tuesday agreed to restrict use of low-frequency active sonar in areas known to be whale breeding grounds […]

Leaking underground storage tanks make fun acronym, pose health threat

Hundreds of underground fuel tanks owned by the federal government could be leaking hazardous materials into drinking water, according to an Associated Press investigation. Of particular concern are steel tanks buried in the Cold War era, which are highly likely to have rusted and be leaking. One million gallons of water can be contaminated by […]

Feds axe acreage of spotted owl habitat

The amount of old-growth forest designated as critical habitat for the northern spotted owl was slashed 23 percent, or 1.6 million acres, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday. One might think that means that spotted owls are doing well for themselves, but no: the spotted owl population is dropping by 4 percent […]