Articles by Grist staff

McCain calls for 45 new nuclear reactors in U.S. by 2030

Republican presidential candidate John McCain, at a campaign event Wednesday in Missouri, called for 45 new nuclear reactors to be built in the United States by 2030, with a longer-term goal of 100 new reactors. Existing nuke plants currently provide some 20 percent of U.S. electricity, but no new nuke plants have been built in […]

NYC unveils plan to open huge swaths of roadway to pedestrians and bikes — temporarily

On Monday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a new event called "Summer Streets." For three Saturdays in August, pedestrians and cyclists will enjoy exclusive access to a contiguous stretch of city thoroughfares running from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street. No cars allowed.

 

 

Snippets from the news

• Feds cut back climate research trips — to save fuel. • Residents of proposed U.K. eco-towns could be fined for driving. • Lobsters fall prey to war on mosquitoes. • Germany approves new climate legislation. • Polar bear sighted in Iceland.

Oceans warming faster than thought, says research

The world’s oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last four decades than what was previously thought, according to a new study published in Nature. The new research helps to explain recent sea-level rise that climate models weren’t accounting for; melting ice gets all the press, but since heat expands, hotter water also contributes […]