Articles by Grist staff

Elk populations getting out of control in some national parks

Forget hungry, hungry hippos — here come the hungry, hungry elk. Three national parks in Colorado and the Dakotas are awash in antlered gluttons, at some places more than twice what’s considered a preferable population. “Willow and aspen stands are declining [and] that deprives other species of habitat they need,” says a spokesperson for Colorado’s […]

Midwest refineries source more crude from tar sands; emissions will rise

Emissions from Midwest oil refineries are expected to jump by up to 40 percent in the next 10 years, thanks in large part to an industry-wide trend of sourcing crude oil from Canada’s tar sands. The sands produce petroleum of such poor quality that it requires more energy — and thus more pollution — to […]

White pine underthings more natural than they sound

This post goes out to all the ladies: If this hottie respectable underwear model could talk, I bet he’d be telling us all about his wood. About how it’s so sustainable and never loses its shape. It has "the feel of cashmere and the coolness of linen," he’d say. Plus, it’s antibacterial, thermally regulated, and […]

Jewelers join campaign against proposed gold mine in Alaska

Psst — Valentine’s Day is coming up. If you’re now rushing out the door in a panic to buy your sweetie a trinket, keep this in mind: A group of prominent jewelers has joined a campaign against the Pebble Gold Mine, an environmental monstrosity that would be sited in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, at the headwaters […]