Grist

Think you can’t afford an EV? Think again

Automakers now offer an array of discount leases and perks that make electric cars accessible for a much broader segment of the population.

By Claire Thompson

6 hours ago

Politics

Seattle mayor wants to block Whole Foods because of its low wages

Mike McGinn is leading the charge against a proposed new store, saying Whole Foods pays significantly less than unionized grocery stores.

By Lisa Hymas

10 hours ago

Climate & Energy

Pakistan’s new big threat isn’t terrorism — it’s water

Shortages of the precious resource threaten to destabilize the region even further.

By Aziz Nayani

11 hours ago

Food

Wild thing, I think I need you: How weeds could save dinner

Scientists are racing to study and conserve wild varieties of crops before they disappear. Such weeds could bolster agricultural yields as the climate changes.

By John Upton

11 hours ago

Climate & Energy

America’s wicked, deadly heat wave last week

American cities could see many more hot-weather fatalities in the decades to come, as climate change drives longer and more frequent heat waves.

By John Metcalfe

12 hours ago

Climate & Energy

Here’s how wind and solar can save more lives and prevent more pollution

Renewable energy would have greater social benefit in states that are currently reliant on coal, a new study suggests.

By John Upton

12 hours ago

Cities

How to tell if your favorite park is infested with Satanists

We're all in favor of urban green space -- except when it's full of totally real, not made up Satanic cults.

By Jess Zimmerman

12 hours ago

Living

Male bats, like other males, sing to seduce

How is a male bat like Iggy Pop? He may be kinda ugly, but girls love a musician.

By Holly Richmond

14 hours ago

Politics

Mapped: A hot hot summer of climate action

One-off protests don't seem like a big deal? Check out the full scope of climate uprisings happening across North America this summer.

By Susie Cagle

15 hours ago

Living

Turn your sweat into drinking water

UNICEF created the first machine to turn your stinky T-shirt into cleaner-than-tap water. (Gulp.)

By Holly Richmond

15 hours ago

Living

People wouldn’t stop swimming in this toxic lagoon, so officials dyed it black

You would think people would stay away. But it looked so inviting.

By Sarah Laskow

16 hours ago

Living

Bright lights make people more generous

This suggests a natural end to the lightbulb wars.

By Sarah Laskow

17 hours ago

Living

This online tool lets you virtually nuke a city

Alex Wellerstein, a historian of nuclear weapons, has created a map that makes city living slightly terrifying.

By Sarah Laskow

18 hours ago

Business & Technology

Electric vehicle sales are skyrocketing

Sales of plug-in vehicles tripled from 2011 to 2012, and have so far more than doubled this year. The low cost of powering the cars is one factor -- just $1.18 per gallon on average.

By John Upton

18 hours ago

Living

Can your fugly car cock-block you? This short film thinks so

Dating in L.A. sucks with a crappy car. "Bad Cars" condenses the experience into six minutes of agony.

By Holly Richmond

20 hours ago

Living

Why coal has a hit on “America’s Got Talent”

A Kentucky boy has hit big on "America's Got Talent" with a song called "Coal Keeps the Lights On." Why does coal mining continue to wield such resonant power in U.S. culture?

By David Roberts

20 hours ago

Food

That’s the spirit: A guide to sustainable liquor

Sustainable beer and wine are fine -- but liquor is quicker. We take a hard look at the hard stuff so you can ensure your tipple isn't a Kochtail.

By Deena Shanker

21 hours ago

Living

Ask Umbra: What’s the safest bug spray?

A reader worries about Lyme disease and West Nile. Umbra bites.

By Ask Umbra

22 hours ago

Climate & Energy

How do we use electricity?

We can better understand our electricity use -- as a country and at home -- if we break it down by sector and category.

By Lindsay Wilson

2 days ago

Living

The week in GIFs: Singles, Monsanto, and live vasectomies

This week's news in tasty GIF nugget form for easy digestion.

By Holly Richmond

2 days ago

Climate & Energy

Climate-related power outages aren’t just a coastal problem

No American region has been exempt from the possibility of mass power outages.

By Stephanie Garlock

3 days ago

Climate & Energy

Ice, ice, maybe: Snow and ice melting at record speed

From April to June, more than 80 percent of the Northern Hemisphere's snow cover melted away -- one of the most rapid shifts on record.

By Claire Thompson

3 days ago

Climate & Energy

U.S. won’t fund a massive coal plant in Vietnam

After Obama's climate pledge, is the Export-Import Bank finally changing its stance on fossil fuel projects?

By Kate Sheppard

4 days ago

Climate & Energy

Dozens of new oil rigs planned for Gulf of Mexico

The number of gas and oil rigs drilling deeper than 1,000 feet in the Gulf is expected to nearly double during the next two years to 60.

By John Upton

4 days ago

Cities

Today only: You can request an ice cream truck on Uber in cities around the world

It's too hot to run after the ice cream truck. Let Uber, which normally provides cars on demand, bring it right to you.

By Jess Zimmerman

4 days ago

Climate & Energy

Harry Reid blames climate change for fires ravaging his state

"The West is being devastated by wildfires," said the Senate majority leader. "Why? Because the climate has changed."

By John Upton

4 days ago

Living

Here’s your new favorite anti-mommy blog: The NotMom

It’s about time a site celebrated those of us without kids, right? (A site besides Grist, that is.)

By Holly Richmond

4 days ago

Climate & Energy

Crude on the tracks: Oil spills from trains skyrocket

As more oil is being shipped by rail across North America, more oil is being spilled from trains.

By Claire Thompson

4 days ago

Food

Monsanto virtually gives up on growing GMO crops in Europe

The agro-giant dropped eight out of nine pending applications to sell GMO seeds in Europe, citing "political obstructionism."

By John Upton

4 days ago

Follow Grist

Built to spill: No one knows how to stop this tar-sands oil disaster

Think you can’t afford an EV? Think again

Seattle mayor wants to block Whole Foods because of its low wages

Pakistan’s new big threat isn’t terrorism — it’s water

Wild thing, I think I need you: How weeds could save dinner

America’s wicked, deadly heat wave last week

Here’s how wind and solar can save more lives and prevent more pollution

How to tell if your favorite park is infested with Satanists

Male bats, like other males, sing to seduce