Murder, Death Threats Amid Environmental Protests

Environmentalists and human rights activists in Brazil are demanding clarification of the murder of Paulo Santos Souza, a fisherman and trade unionist who was fighting irregularities in the construction of a gas pipeline for Petrobras.

Oil Sands Project Moves Forward

Imperial Oil, Exxon’s Canadian subsidiary, has broken the oil sands investment slump with an announcement on Monday that the company will proceed with a $7.1 billion project to mine bitumen from the Kearl Lake project, located about 44 miles northeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Free-Flowing Rivers Back in Vogue

It may come as no surprise that a dam impeding the flow of a major river would negatively impact fish populations, but it is only recently that benefits of free-flowing rivers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are beginning to be valued more than those of dams.

Too much emphasis on emission targets: Chu

Energy Secretary Stephen Chu said on Tuesday that setting exact targets for carbon dioxide emissions had led to an “over-obsession” with numbers, as the United States moved closer to overhauling its energy policy.

Rising stars of the sea: Will global warming benefit starfish?

Increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels in the world’s oceans may actually speed the growth of starfish, according to research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results contrast with previous findings of global warming’s negative effects on the five-armed fish’s relatives.

Why the Right to Emit Carbon Dioxide Is Given Away in U.S. Climate Change Bill

A massive climate bill has taken its first step forward in the House, its path paved by the giveaway of allowances — free greenhouse gas emission permits designed to mute the economic impact of a carbon cap-and-trade program.

How Seahorses Evolved to Swim “Standing Up”

Seahorses are master mimics that use their cryptic colors and upright posture to blend in with plants. When and why the animals developed these unusual characteristics has been a mystery-until now, scientists say.

Methane rise spurs fears of permafrost thaw

After decades of stability, methane levels in the Arctic atmosphere rose for a second straight year in 2008, causing some scientists to worry about a possible thawing of permafrost soil in which the powerful greenhouse gas is trapped.

Scientists continue battle for fate of polar bears

A top Canadian researcher at the centre of a scientific battle over the fate of polar bears in the melting Arctic says the latest war of words – a published “rebuttal” of a 2008 U.S.-led study that argued climate change may not seriously threaten the iconic species after all – has significant implications in this country.

“Green” industry demands low-carbon dollars

Top executives from companies likely to win from climate change policies demanded on Tuesday that governments turn away from fossil fuels when they sign a new climate pact, expected in December.

Rising sea levels: Survival tips from 5000 BC

WITH rising seas lapping at coastal cities and threatening to engulf entire islands in the not-too-distant future, it’s easy to assume our only option will be to abandon them and head for the hills. There may be another way, however.

2008 U.S. Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions See Biggest Drop in Nearly 30 Years

Sky-high fuel prices, declining energy use and a slumping economy gave the U.S. its largest annual decline in fossil fuel-based carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since 1982, when emissions fell 5.3 percent.