Articles by Grist staff

House committee to investigate EPA panel members’ conflicts of interest

A House committee has opened an investigation into possible conflicts of interest concerning members of U.S. EPA expert panels that advise the agency on matters such as banning or restricting the use of certain toxic chemicals. The EPA stirred up controversy last year when it dismissed a toxicologist from a panel that was reviewing the […]

Saab commercial features Lolita the killer whale

On the heels of my short mention of the campaign to free Lolita, producer (and campaign spokesperson) Raul Julia-Levy called today to point me to a Saab commercial that features video of Lolita in “her stinky little tank.” It’s a tear-jerker; break out the hankies:

Ship pilot charged in San Francisco oil spill

The pilot of the ship that spilled more than 50,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay in November has been charged with criminal negligence, harming federally protected birds, and violating the Clean Water Act. If found guilty, Capt. John Cota could face up to 18 months in jail and more than $100,000 in […]

Sail-powered cargo ship returns home, wave-powered vessel sets off

A cargo ship partially powered by a gigantic kite-like sail has completed a 12,000-mile roundtrip voyage across the Atlantic. Captain Lutz Heldt, who says the ship used around 20 percent less fuel thanks to kite power, says, “We can once again actually ‘sail’ with cargo ships, thus opening a new chapter in the history of […]