Articles by Grist staff

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.

EPA launches cell-phone recycling campaign

As many as 150 million cell phones are taken out of service in the U.S. each year, and some 80 percent end up in the landfill, where they leach toxins into the air and water. In an attempt to address the problem, the U.S. EPA today launched a campaign to boost cell-phone reuse and recycling. […]

Amazing Race-ers awarded vague electric vehicle

I’m always excited when eco-prizes are handed out on Those Reality TV Shows That I Totally Do Not Watch. But Sunday night on The Amazing Race, I was surprised to hear that the first-place pit-stop finishers were awarded electric vehicles, and then confused by the way the prize was never fully explained and seemed veiled […]