Climate Health

The stupid politics behind Obama’s ozone cave

Obama's cave on ozone regulations was a) a crass political move, b) driven by new Chief of Staff Bill Daley, and c) based on daft political logic.

Switching from coal to natural gas would accelerate climate change, say scientists

Here is a terrifying, crazy-making truth: Getting off coal will accelerate climate change, at least in the short term.

Bill McKibben talks to Grist amidst ‘chaotic and beautiful’ Tar Sands Action [VIDEO]

Bill McKibben shares his excitement on the last day of tar-sands-pipeline protests in front of the White House.

Memo to EPA chief Lisa Jackson: Defy Obama or resign

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has been ordered to sacrifice public health in service to the energy industry. Her only reasonable, conscionable alternatives are to disobey Obama's orders, or step down.

Critical List: Oil industry says it has jobs to offer; Senate could cut clean energy funding

Need a job? Alberta's tar sands industry wants YOU.

But if you want to stay in this country, never fear, the oil and gas industry wants to create jobs here. On the one hand: Yay jobs! On the other hand: Boo oil and gas industry!

A European court put the kibosh on honey that contains even a tiny bit of pollen from GMO crops. If we know Monsanto, they’re now working on a genetically modified bee that neutralizes evidence of genetic modification from the genetically modified pollen it collects.

Obama pulls a Bush on clean air

A deeper look at the politics and maneuvering leading up to the most outrageous environmental offense of the Obama administration.

Light pollution is stealing our night sky — here's how to get it back

This (left) is your sky. And this (right) is your sky on ONE MAJOR LIGHT SOURCE. So it's no surprise that suburban starscapes have been totally desaturated by the lights on buildings, roads, and parking lots. Less than half the U.S. -- and almost none of Europe -- has dark enough night skies to see the Milky Way.

By giving in to Big Oil, Obama seals his political fate

Obama is directing the EPA to withdraw standards that would have cut smog and asthma attacks, saved lives, and created jobs -- not a smart strategy for reelection.

Obama blows smog in everyone's face

President Obama has yanked back the EPA's proposed new restrictions on ground-level ozone (i.e. smog). That's a huge win for Big Business, which had claimed it couldn't weather an economic downturn AND keep from suffocating people at the same time. But it's an equally huge loss for everyone else -- especially since the reason the EPA was revising the smog standards in the first place was because the allowable limit was well above safe levels, according to the agency's science advisors.

GOP's dirty air hit list sacrifices Americans' health

House Republicans want to block "job-killing" clean air safeguards that every year prevent thousands of deaths, heart attacks, and asthma attacks, and millions of missed work and school days.