Public

"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."

"For years, the stumbling block for making renewable energy practical and dependable has been how to store electricity for days when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. But new technologies suggest this goal may finally be within reach."

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) penned a response criticising AK Gov. Sarah Palin's July 14, 2009, Washington Post op-ed slamming the Democrat's cap-and-trade plan. The blogosphere buzz built by Palin's foray into climate matters suggests she may still have a role to play in U.S. politics. Both Republicans and Democrats seem to hope so.

Wal-Mart is throwing its hat into the crowded ring of green-labeling schemes for merchandise -- and hoping to crowd out other certifiers of sustainability.

"Honeybees may not be the first thing that come to mind when you think of Brooklyn. Yet ... a growing number of urbanites who keep bees in cities across the country. Their motivations vary."

Florida has become the first state in the country to set regulations for the purity of honey -- prohibiting chemicals or additives, including corn syrup sweeteners, in products marked as honey.

"The U.S. Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a legal decision between the Interior Department and Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC.N) that, if allowed to stand, could cost the government billions of dollars in lost oil royalties from energy companies."

"The Senate confirmed on Wednesday retired astronaut Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden as administrator of NASA, just in time for the space agency's 40th anniversary celebrations of man's first steps on the moon."

Discarded electronic devices from the U.S. and other affluent countries go to poor nations for "recycling." In Ghana and elsewhere, 11-year-olds may breathe smoke from burning plastic and smash hard drives with rocks to get at the metals they contain.

"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.