Nearly three years ago, Vermont passed a landmark law that aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by shifting residents away from using fossil fuels to heat their homes and businesses. Last month, that plan officially died before ever being put into action — and the path toward cleaner heating in the...
The Iran war is driving up energy prices. These companies are profiting.
The war with Iran has brought shipping traffic to a virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf channel through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows. That has sent fossil fuel prices surging — and with them, the potential for profit. The price...
Why thinning a forest could get you more drinking water
You might appreciate snowpack as something to sled, ski, or snowboard on. But beyond the slopes, vast masses of snow melt as winter turns to spring, feeding rivers and streams, which go on to hydrate towns and cities and crops. We’re talking incredible amounts of water: California, for instance, gets...
How electrifying a Bay Area rail system made trains faster, cleaner, and more frequent
Adina Levin took Caltrain to San Francisco from her home in Menlo Park one night last month. A 40-minute ride on a train seems mundane, but Levin’s trip reflected a big change to the region’s transportation ecosystem — the result of a sweeping modernization of the rail corridor. Caltrain, the...
Prepping for a disaster? You’ll probably want to pack a little treat.
Some people spend more time than others imagining what they’ll do when the world ends. Survivalist movements have long urged adherents to focus on the details: How much food and water will you need if the power goes out? Where are the flashlights and extra batteries? What’s in your go...
The hidden potential of Trump’s critical minerals stockpile
Last year, the Trump administration appeared to give up on the future of renewable energy entirely. It launched an all-out war against offshore wind; threw up byzantine regulatory hurdles to block renewables on public land; and effectively gutted the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, consigning the law’s landmark solar, wind,...
Kristi Noem all but killed FEMA. Will her departure save it?
During the year she spent leading the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, Kristi Noem faced a torrent of criticism. Lawmakers from both parties assailed her for lying about the shooting of protestors in Minneapolis and spending millions of dollars on television commercials. Government audits concluded that she “systematically...
Arizona’s water is drying up. That’s not stopping the data center rush.
It’s no secret that Arizona is worried about its water. The Colorado River is drying up, in part due to climate change, and groundwater aquifers are running dry. Some of the state’s biggest industries are suffering as a result: Many farmers have been forced to rip up their cotton and...
After a hurricane, extreme heat poses a serious threat to recovery workers
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR station. Weather-wise, the days after a hurricane tears through are often gorgeous: sunny, cloudless, calm. But the risks aren’t over once the flooding recedes and the wind is no longer hurling debris. Heat can pose a...
After a lawsuit, USDA agrees to share climate risk data with farmers
Shortly after President Donald Trump took office last January, employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture were reportedly instructed to flag and delete any webpages that mentioned climate change — including resources used by farmers to prepare for extreme weather. In response, a group of environmental and agricultural nonprofits sued the...