In Brazil, the third activist leader in a week opposing destruction of the Amazon rain forest was murdered.

"José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva fought against illegal loggers and had received death threats but was refused police protection."

"A federal judge in Utah on Monday tossed Koch Industries’s lawsuit against the pranksters who set up a fake website and sent out a bogus press release saying the company had found religion on climate change."

"A federal judge will decide whether to allow a lawsuit to move forward alleging two major chemical companies, Dow and Sasol North America, used a private security firm to spy on environmental groups in Louisiana and Washington, D.C."

One UK blogger thinks that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) risks alienating supporters by using pornographic posters to promote its cause. PETA has proven expert over the years at getting free publicity by creating controversy. Should we even be covering this coverage?

"Texans pride themselves on being the heart of the nation’s oil and gas business. But even here, public concern about natural gas drilling is growing."

"Earth Day Network and Facebook are collaborating to engage people worldwide in environmental action through the Billion Acts of Green campaign. The two organizations have created a new application to motivate people to reduce their impact on the environment."

Some 10,000 young activists descend on Washington, DC, this weekend to train, network, lobby, and demonstrate on climate change in an event called Power Shift. On dirty energy, they suspect President Obama has goe over to the dark side.

EPA and Justice Department officials in the Obama administration are putting more emphasis on environmental justice  -- an effort to reduce the greater hazards faced by poor and minority communities. But that job is not easy, especially in the face of industry resistance.

"The Goldman Environmental Foundation today announced the six recipients of the 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize - a group of grassroots leaders who are taking on tough challenges to protect the environment and their communities, often at great personal risk."

"New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is re-evaluating the state's participation in a regional carbon trading program and could opt to withdraw within a few weeks. Observers say the move is expected in response to pressure from GOP legislators and campaigns mounted by groups funded by billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch."

"Behind the feud between Greenpeace and Facebook over renewable energy."

"Environmental activist Tim DeChristopher knew what he was doing when he made $1.8 million in false oil and gas drilling bids at a federal auction. He knew he couldn't possibly pay for them. And he knew he could end up behind bars. But he did it for the cause. On Thursday, a federal jury convicted him on two felony counts of interfering with and making false representations at a government auction."

"Arnold Schwarzenegger told you he’d be back. Just months removed from a raucous seven years as California governor, the global warming gladiator is about to hopscotch around the planet in his new role as a green technology cheerleader."

"Hundreds of activists marched to the federal courthouse Monday to support a man who became an environmental folk hero by faking the purchase of $1.7 million of federal oil-and-gas drilling leases in an act of civil disobedience."