Health | Grist

Don't Drink the Water

‘Tapped’ documentary pulls plug on bottled water craze 3
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
"Tapped," a new documentary about the bottled water industry from director Stephanie Soechtig and the producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car?", is a pretty damning look at how consumers have been tricked into spending too much money on water packaged in plastic and quite often not as clean as what's available from the faucet.
After Life

Ask Umbra on green burial 13
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
When it comes to end-of-life arrangements, what are the options with the least eco-impact? Umbra gravely reviews the current landscape.
Shooting in the dark

Solving obesity all depends on what you mean by the word “solve” 5
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
No wonder Ezra Klein isn't optimistic about winning the war against obesity in America. It's hard to hit a target when you don't know what it looks like or where it is.
The Root of the Matter

A tasting of nine “natural” root beers yields surprising results 12
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Your beverage aisle might showcase retro, handcrafted "root sodas" with exotic spices, certified organic root beers, a green-tea root beer, and a diet root beer spiked with an eco-sounding plant-based sweetener. Which to choose? Let our taste test be your guide.
West Virginia redefines dirty energy as “alternative” 2
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
In the recent legislative session, Gov. Joe Manchin (D) championed and state lawmakers approved an energy portfolio standard bill requiring 25% of generation to come from "alternative and renewable" sources by 2025. But the new standard, which goes into effect this month, has defined "alternative" to include natural gas, old tires, coal gas and even waste coal.
Buzz Off

A guide to non-toxic pest control 6
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Summer brings many delights -- and a few not-so-delightful companions too. You've checked out Umbra's video advice on dealing with cockroaches, but how can you coexist with mosquitoes, ants, and other so-called pests? Here are a few eco-remedies for keeping the little wanderers at bay.
food for thought

Not much convenience in “convenience foods” 6
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago
A UCLA researcher performed an observational study of a group of L.A. families to see how they handled mealtimes. Surprisingly, dinner didn't get on the table any faster in homes that favored convenience foods.
Weight of the world

No healthcare reform without food-system reform 8
Posted 4 months, 4 weeks ago
Overweight and obesity rates continue to rise, pushed up by a tsunami of cheap calories. Time to reform the food system?
Ask Umbra’s video advice on sunscreen 2
Posted 5 months ago
The political surprise of the year

Health care reform is tougher than climate action 0
Posted 5 months ago
More sin taxes, please

USDA food-desert report points to need for a soda tax 6
Posted 5 months ago
The USDA's recent report on "food deserts" made the the food-politics blogospere bloom with opinions on how to improve low-income people's diets. Tom Laskawy adds his.
Survey Says!

Consumers no longer want to be kept in the dark about food 3
Posted 5 months ago
A new survey came out indicating that (surprise, surprise) only 20% of Americans trust food companies to develop and sell food products that are safe and healthy." But there was some far more interesting data buried in this survey.
EPA chief on environmental justice, working for Obama, and more 0
Posted 5 months ago
Action Jackson

EPA chief Lisa Jackson on mountaintop removal, climate legislation, toxics, and more 3
Posted 5 months ago
The EPA can't stop mountaintop-removal mining under current law, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson tells Grist. In an exclusive interview, she also talks about climate legislation, toxics, environmental justice, and what it's like to be part of Obama's "green Cabinet." Watch the video and read the highlights.
Murder by breath

Goodbye to Cancer Valley: In remembrance of my friend John Soley 0
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
After a long struggle with cancer, my friend Mr. John Soley died at his home in Carbon County, Pa. on Saturday, June 20. He was only 62, which is too young to die of natural causes. But then, neither John nor I believe he got sick from natural causes. We believe he and many of his neighbors were poisoned by pollution, and that the perpetrators should be held to account.
Coal is the enemy of West Virginia 3
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
I wrote a slightly snotty post about West Virginia recently, making the point that dependence on coal has produced more misery than benefit for West Virginians. And now there's empirical data to back that up.
Reality bites

UPDATED: Never mind! Lead levels in White House soil “ridiculously low” for an urban garden 0
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
Back when First Lady Michelle Obama planted her garden, the soil tested for slightly elevated lead levels -- not necessarily dangerous, but quite a bit higher than the amount considered the "normal" background soil lead level of 10 parts per million.
Sparkling Wit

Ask Umbra on rinse aids 7
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
Your dishwasher requires a rinse aid -- but what the heck is in that thing, and is there an eco-alternative? Umbra offers a cascade of advice.
Desert Blooms

NYC sends veggie carts to underserved areas—and they’re a hit 6
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
New York City took a baby step recently towards a state role in distributing healthy food. It significantly expanded a program to bring fruit and vegetable "carts" to low-income neighborhoods that good food options -- so-called "food deserts." And if the early response is any indication, the program looks to be a rip-roaring success.
Ask Umbra’s video advice on showering 10
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago