Articles by Grist staff

Study of fossil record predicts climate change could fuel mass extinction

Photo: iStockphoto Climate change may fuel a mass extinction in which half of all plant and animal species could — how to put this delicately? — exit stage left, according to a new study. If the past 520 million years of fossil records are any predictor of the future, a globally warmed world will not […]

Mining-law reform bill could change rules for mines on public land

Just 135 years after its enactment, environmentalists and fiscal conservatives may finally have a shot at reforming an antiquated U.S. law that lets mining companies dig up minerals and precious metals on public lands without paying royalties nor being responsible for post-dig cleanups. A bill to change the 1872 General Mining Law passed the House […]

College Sustainability Report Card 2008 released

Nothing gets a student’s rear in gear faster than a failing grade on an important report card. And the colleges and universities that scored poorly on last year’s College Sustainability Report Card are no different. Today, the Sustainable Endowments Institute released its 2008 edition, revealing that 68 percent of the schools surveyed improved their overall […]

Exploring Dubuque by boat

What floats our boat? Um, we’re not quite sure, but that didn’t stop us from taking the helm like two river rats making our way downstream. Thanks to the (very Dubuque) hospitality of Trish McDonald and her "chick boat" Doris Day, we were fortunate enough to spend the day out on the Mississippi River. Trish […]