Articles by Grist staff

Report warns of new security threats from climate change

Climate change will create a range of new security threats, including millions of displaced climate refugees, according to a new report from Britain’s Oxford Research Group. The report forecasts a tumultuous climate-changed future by as early as 2050 where some 200 million climate refugees fleeing environmental disasters in their homelands will try to immigrate to […]

Nuclear power plants in U.S. Southeast may face shutdowns due to drought

Nuclear reactors across the U.S. Southeast could be forced to slow production or shut down in the near future due to the effects of continuing drought in the region. Nuclear power plants require massive amounts of water to cool steam that turns the generators; the water usually arrives via large intake pipes from nearby rivers […]

EPA staff supported California auto-emissions waiver, documents show

As suspected, U.S. EPA employees last year told agency Administrator Stephen Johnson that California had “compelling and extraordinary conditions” that would justify a federal waiver allowing the state to limit greenhouse-gas emissions from autos, according to EPA documents reviewed by Senate staffers this week. Nonetheless, Johnson denied the state that waiver in December. The EPA […]

China unveils plan to fix polluted lakes

China has unveiled a plan to limit pollution in its lakes by 2010 and return lakes to their original, unpolluted state by 2030. Officials have specific plans to attain their goal: strictly regulate release of wastewater, close factories that heavily contribute to water pollution, improve sewage treatment, remove or limit fish farms, and ban highly […]