National (U.S.)

A new study says that U.S. emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, often emitted by farm and energy operations, are much larger than previously estimated.

"Billy Talen to stand trial for preaching on bank's environmental record accompanied by choir members wearing toad hats"

"The U.S. government's authority to regulate air pollution nationwide, often against the wishes of Republican-leaning states, could face new curbs when the U.S. Supreme Court takes on two high-stakes cases in coming months."

"DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — They have been burned, blown into piles, raked into bags and generally scorned by homeowners everywhere. Fall leaves — so pretty on the trees, such a nuisance when they hit the ground — have long been a thing to be discarded. But now some suburban towns are asking residents to do something radical: Leave the leaves alone."

"Swing state voters in Virginia and Ohio last fall were bombarded with television advertisements encouraging them to 'stand with coal' and 'vote no on Obama's failing energy policy.' But the sponsor of these ads — a pro-business nonprofit advocacy group called the American Energy Alliance — says the messages weren’t designed to aid Republican Mitt Romney in his bid to unseat President Barack Obama."

"Green groups might be the biggest winners from Senate Democrats’ decision to gut the minority party’s filibuster rights on nominations."

After New York Times editors dismantled the paper's environmental desk and killed its Green blog this year, they said they were doing it to improve environmental coverage. But the Times' Public Editor says the results don't live up to Times editors' claims.

A new California rule may herald the end of toxic flame-retardant chemicals in furniture.

"Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants."

"National standards should be set for building construction, storm shelters and emergency communications to reduce death and damage from tornados, a federal agency that studied the deadly 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, recommended on Thursday."