Articles by Grist staff

China relocates Tibetan herders in interest of environment

Ugh: China is ordering 100,000 ethnic Tibetans to give up their traditional nomadic habits and settle in towns because their way of life is threatening the environment, state press reported Tuesday. Glaciers in the province where the herders live are an initial source for both the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers; somehow we imagine that the […]

China joins campaign to phase out incandescent bulbs

China makes 70 percent of the world’s light bulbs, and has just agreed to participate in a campaign to globally phase out inefficient bulbs over the next decade. But you didn’t hear it from us: China’s participation in the incandescent-hatin’ campaign, which is being spearheaded by green funder Global Environment Facility, will be formally announced […]

Interior Department urged to redo recovery plan for spotted owl

Was the Interior Department’s recovery plan for the northern spotted owl watered down because of political pressure to favor logging interests? Six peer reviews of the plan (five of them funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) suggest yes. So do 113 scientists who sent a letter yesterday asking the Interior Department to rewrite […]

A dispatch from the Congressional Black Caucus conference

The following is a guest essay by Lauren Trevisan, environmental justice program assistant for the Sierra Club.

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Appropriately, the theme of this year's 37th annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., was "Unleashing Our Power." For the first time in history, the U.S. House of Representatives has four African-Americans serving as chairpersons of major committees. In addition, 17 African-Americans lead major subcommittees, and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina is the House Majority Whip. Activists and health experts hope that this change in leadership will help enact serious environmental justice legislation to promote safe and healthy communities.

Senator and presidential hopeful Barack Obama drew a large crowd for his session on global warming. More than 1,000 people crowded in to hear Sen. Obama call for a comprehensive study of climate change impacts on low-income communities. He highlighted the job opportunities for young Americans that would stem from investment in retrofitting and renewable energy. Increased investment in public transit, Obama added, would help reduce carbon emissions and help low-income communities.

But the best discussion of the day came from an annual panel called the Environmental Justice Braintrust. Clyburn convened this panel discussion for the ninth consecutive year. Panelists ranged from policy makers to medical professionals to civil rights attorneys, all of whom have been working to fight environmental injustice for decades.