International

Walruses in the Arctic depend on sea ice as a base for hunting and transportation. The native Yupik and Inupiat people have depended on the walrus for meat, clothing, and tools. Now the climate-driven shrinking of sea ice is threatening both walruses and humans.

"The virus commonly called swine flu has 'run its course,' World Health Organization Director-General said today. But while the pandemic danger is over the swine flu, or H1N1, has not gone away, it has just become more like seasonal influenzas."

"With 3-1/2 months left before a United Nations climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, the spade work ahead of the meeting seems to be turning up more boulders than a New England plow."

"Devastating floods in Pakistan and Russia's heatwave match predictions of extremes caused by global warming even though it is impossible to blame mankind for single severe weather events, scientists say."

"U.N. climate talks have moved backward rather than forward toward a hoped-for deal later this year as nations make slow progress on pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions and add more proposals to the working document."

"An ice island four times the size of Manhattan broke off from one of Greenland's two main glaciers, scientists said on Friday, in the biggest such event in the Arctic in nearly 50 years."

"A U.N. panel has declared the Florida's Everglades to be an endangered World Heritage site due to the wetlands' continued degradation, officials said on Friday."

"Top climate change leaders from Europe to Africa are wondering if it's time to give up on the United States."

"Global wheat crops are taking it on the chin, thanks to a drought and fires in Russia, too much rain in Canada, and locusts in Australia. Prices are at levels not seen in almost two years." Climate-driven harvest failures in other parts of the world may be good news for US grain dealers -- and may alter the balance of UN climate talks.

"A huge mass of magnetically charged material ejected from the sun is racing across space toward our planet, where it is expected to arrive on Tuesday. When it strikes the Earth's magnetic field, it could produce spectacular auroras."