Articles by Grist staff

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 […]

Less hunters mean less funding for conservation, states find

Many states are lamenting the declining population of a valuable species: the American hunter. Funds from hunting licenses and fees are generally directed to wildlife conservation; while the need to maintain habitat for wild critters isn’t going to go away anytime soon, the number of sportsfolk in the U.S. has declined by some 35 percent […]