Articles by Grist staff

Rates of black lung disease double in a decade

Rates of black lung disease have doubled in the last decade, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The disease, which is caused by inhaling coal dust, now occurs in almost 10 percent of coal miners who work 25 or more years underground, as opposed to about 4 percent a decade ago. […]

U.S. EPA falls short of fiscal-year goals for Superfund cleanup

The U.S. EPA had aimed to clean up 40 Superfund sites in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, but only got around to 24 of them. The Bush administration will now average 39 finished cleanups a year; just for comparison’s sake, the Clinton administration gussied up an average of 76 sites annually. More than […]

U.S. Transportation Secretary blames bikes for decay of roads and bridges

When one rides a bicycle, one is able to transport oneself from place to place — thus, one might call a bicycle “transportation.” But not if one is U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Despite the fact that 10 percent of all U.S. trips to work, school, and store happen on bike or foot, Peters said […]

Environmental protection trending negative, says report

The Worldwatch Institute yesterday released its “Vital Signs 2007-2008” report, which generally concluded that the earth is flatlining. Only six of 44 studied environmental trends were declared to be positive (such as the growth of wind power), while 28 were “pronouncedly bad.” Among the bad: meat production hit a record 304 million tons, or 95 […]