As the U.S. faces an aging farmer population, communities are looking for ways to shore up the next generation of growers. But high upfront costs, access to land, and a shifting climate can make entry into the field feel out of reach for many people looking to get into the...
Why are so many Democrats going quiet on climate change?
As the midterm elections approach, something strange has happened: Democratic politicians who once talked about climate change as the defining crisis of our time now barely mention it at all. The phrase has begun disappearing from their speeches, social media posts, and podcast appearances. The main exception is Senator Sheldon...
Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700 million to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal
President Donald Trump is using wartime presidential authority to hand $700 million to coal-fired power plants in the U.S., the latest move by the president to bolster what he called “clean, beautiful coal,” despite it being the dirtiest of fossil fuels. “Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price...
Federal agency to open tens of thousands of acres of Colorado wilderness to oil drilling
A federal agency will offer tens of thousands of acres in northwestern Colorado that the nation’s largest elk herd relies upon for migration, foraging, and winter habitat to oil and gas companies for lease in the state’s biggest such sale in modern history. More than 100 parcels included in a June 16 lease sale by...
In the Smoky Mountains, a volunteer effort aims to document every species — before it’s too late
A gentle shower fell as four people in rain gear made their way deep into a spruce-fir forest high in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ducking beneath bright green underbrush and stepping away from the road, a hush took over. Just a few steps in, they came across an aging...
Your local park is bringing in the green (and by that, we mean money)
In an increasingly divided nation, Americans agree on at least two things. For one, politicians across the political spectrum are scrambling to get more housing built, which happens to be an accidentally powerful way to fight climate change. And two, Americans love their parks: A recent poll found that 88...
No, rolling back these environmental rules won’t lower your grocery bill
Nearly six years ago, during Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, the president signed a piece of bipartisan legislation introduced to phase out the rampant use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are potent greenhouse gases commonly used in commercial cooling equipment in grocery stores and air-conditioning systems. At...
Blood in the well: One town’s fight against the slaughterhouse polluting it
When Trish Leigey’s taps started running brown and foul in late 2019, she had an uneasy suspicion about what was tainting the once-clear mountain water. Tests later confirmed her hunch. Bovine DNA had infiltrated drinking water supplies in rural Loganton, Pennsylvania — contamination her lawyers linked to Nicholas Meat and...
Nebraskans are taking a hard look at data centers
This story is made possible through a partnership between Grist and The Flatwater Free Press, Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories. Standing before the Otoe County Board and a room of neighbors, Wynee Benedict ticked through a long list of concerns. Do we have enough...
New York backtracked on its climate goals. Here’s why.
Last week, New York became the first state in the country to weaken a mandatory climate law passed by its own legislature. The change comes at the behest of Governor Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat who has often criticized climate action for increasing consumer costs. After months of backroom negotiation,...