Articles by Grist staff

McCain wins in New Hampshire, after trolling for green votes

Unseasonably warm weather brought out a surge of voters in New Hampshire’s primary — and is it mere coincidence that the only Republican with a real plan to tackle climate change won? Well, OK, probably yes. But John McCain, who handily prevailed in the Granite State’s GOP primary, did make a deliberate appeal to New […]

GM crops reduce emissions and could be used as carbon offsets, says biotech company

Money paid to offset greens’ sins by emission could go toward planting of genetically modified crops in China, if biotech company Arcadia Biosciences gets its way. Arcadia says its rice requires less nitrogen fertilizer, and farmers planting it should be rewarded with carbon credits for reducing their emissions of greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. The company […]

Study touts environmental benefits of switchgrass-derived biofuel

Fast-growing switchgrass makes for a super-duper biofuel, says new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The five-year study of 10 Midwest farms concluded that switchgrass-derived biofuel can produce more than five times the energy consumed in manufacturing it, and emits 94 percent less greenhouse-gas emissions than gasoline. “This clearly demonstrates […]

Canadian government rejects panel’s advice to implement carbon tax

Regarding an expert panel’s solicited advice that Canada strongly consider implementing a carbon tax: The Conservative government is just not that into it.