International

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to India will bring a $10-billion deal to sell U.S. nuclear reactors to that country -- but probably not break the impasse on whether India will join other nations trying to limit greenhouse emissions.

"A type of fuel once used in Japanese aircraft during World War II is slowly making its way again toward the market, and its backers say that it will work better in automobiles than ethanol."

"The British Bee Keepers' Association ... is receiving money from one of the main manufacturers of [an] allegedly bee-killing brew, Bayer Crop Sciences, and endorsing some of its products as 'bee-friendly'."

"In addition to weakening Earth’s natural shield against excessive radiation levels, ozone depletion above Antarctica has significantly dampened the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 and has accelerated acidification of southern polar waters, new research shows."

"During the past few centuries the near-equatorial band of dense precipitation that supplies freshwater to nearly one billion people has migrated hundreds of miles to the north —most likely because of a warming world, scientists say."

"A dramatic warming of the planet 55 million years ago cannot be solely explained by a surge in carbon dioxide levels, a study shows, highlighting gaps in scientists' understanding of impacts from rapid climate change." One implication is that the current warming episode could prove worse than now predicted, as models may not fully account for feedback mechanisms that amplify warming.

"BEIJING -- Top U.S. officials on Wednesday left open the possibility that China might not have to accept a hard cap on its greenhouse gas emissions under a new global climate change treaty."

"The Delaware Bay is the site of the largest horseshoe crab orgy in the world. Mating season brings millions of crabs onto the beaches, and tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds, who gorge themselves on crab eggs on their way to the Arctic."

"When the United States' top energy and commerce officials arrive in China on Tuesday, they will land in the middle of a building storm over China's protectionist tactics to become the world's leader in renewable energy."

This spring's run-up in oil prices is hard to explain on the basis of market fundamentals. It seems to be the result of speculation in the commodity markets.