Articles by Grist staff

A buzzworthy review of DEET-free bug repellents

Itchin’ to scratch that itch. They say the ants go marching one by one. That may be so. But the flying, nibbling critters — the mosquitoes, the gnats, and the flies — come in swarms. How to keep them at bay? Unfortunately, many of the insect repellents on the shelves today contain the chemical DEET. […]

Liz Hurley to star in reality show about her organic farm

Actress-turned-organic-advocate Liz Hurley will soon star in a reality show about life on her organic farm in the U.K. and the launch of her organic brand: Hurley Meat. Says Hurley, “People always imagine me with perfect hair, but that’s not who I am.” Hm … are you sure that’s how they imagine you?

Is your favorite beach polluted?

Photo: Tom Twigg American beaches “continue to suffer from serious water pollution that puts swimmers at risk,” concludes the Natural Resources Defense Council in an annual report. There were 22,571 pollution-related closures or warning advisories on 3,516 beaches in 2007, says the report, second only to the all-time high 25,643 closures or warnings in 2006. […]

Beijing skies clear a little, but Olympic athletes still wary

After a disconcertingly smoggy weekend, wind and rain cleared some haze from Beijing’s skies on Tuesday. But with just a week and half left until the Olympic Games begin, officials are considering emergency measures to keep the smog at bay. The city has already kicked half the cars off its roads, halted construction, planted trees, […]